GREEN NOSE DAY
Highlighting the work of turf professionals
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR
 
Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

Having spent, well over 45 years working in this industry, seeing the vast improvements in terms of job roles and career opportunities that are now available, compared to when I started, is amazing.

 

Very few people back in my day took a route into gardening via groundsmanship. You tended to fall into it via a family friend or if your parents worked in the industry. Both my mother and father worked in horticulture, working for a local nursery growing and selling plants at local markets.


Gardening and groundsman apprenticeships where fairly limited to private houses, private schools and local authorities. I was fortunate that I started my career working as a parks apprentice for Birmingham City Council - who were in fact one of the first councils to set up an apprenticeship scheme in 1955 in Kings Heath Park.

 



My apprenticeship was a five year (1972-1977) course - and what a great time we had. Several of my colleagues who started with me still work in the industry. In fact James Mead is now the grounds manager at Rugby School. We are both keen to ensure that many of the horticultural / groundsmanship skills are retained and passed on to the next generation of up and coming practitioners.


We have come a long way since James and I started. We now have over 17 colleges offering many different career paths into our industry. However, it is one thing attracting them into our industry, the hardest part is keeping them in it. For many years the lure of the industry has been its diversity and strong skill base. However, I have personally seen a decline in the amount of long term career prospects particularly in the public and contracting sectors of our industry.


One of the main reasons for this decline in the parks and local authority sector has been the dramatic austerity cuts of service budgets in the last twenty years. Investment and maintenance budgets have been slashed to the bone - with many local authorities relying on volunteers to help run and maintain park services.


This has in itself has caused a dumbing down of service provision, Local authorities have severely reduced the amount of work being undertaken. This then as a knock-on effect in that the contractors reduce their commitment to contracts and invariably downsize their labour requirements.


A coalition of countryside groups and environmentalists are calling on the government to protect the UK’s parks and green spaces which are at crisis point following years of budget cuts.

 



The group have put forward a 'Charter for Parks' which calls on ministers in England, Wales and Scotland to make it a legal requirement for all parks and green spaces to be maintained and managed to a “good standard.” It also calls on them “to recognise the right of every citizen to have access within walking distance to a good-quality public green space.”


Budget cuts to staffing and maintenance are leaving them vulnerable to neglect and deterioration, or even sell offs. Many people think local councils are legally responsible for maintaining local parks and open spaces but unfortunately, unlike waste collection, that’s not the case yet.


This charter has called on politicians “to take action to ensure these essential and highly-popular public resources are properly funded, managed, maintained, and protected for current and future generations.”


The sheer size of the problem cannot be underestimated, we are talking of hundred if not thousands of skilled jobs being lost if we do not find a solution to this crisis. We as an industry should not bury our heads in the turf. We all must react and try to be heard in a positive way. Once we start losing these skills in these large institutions and public open spaces we will find it hard to get them back.


We as an industry do have a chance to make a difference. We all should collectively come together and hold a celebration of our wonderful industry and what it brings to the table.

 

I personally would like to organise a national Green Nose Day for us to raise thousands of pounds for charity - while at the same time making the world understand the benefits we bring to the table as a sportsturf and horticulture industry.

Rate: 12345 (2)
In this issue
EDITOR'S BLOG
GREEN NOSE DAY
NEWS
SALTEX TO FEATURE INNOVATION HUB
STUDENT GREENKEEPING FINALISTS REVEALED
IOG TEAMS UP WITH LANTRA
SOLUTION FOR WICKETS & OUTFIELDS
INCREASED PARTICIPATION IN JOHN DEERE'S APPRENTICE PROGRAMMES
GLASGOW ACADEMY MEETS TIGHT RENOVATION DEADLINES
WROTHAM HEATH GC INVEST IN VENTRAC
KUBOTA PARTNER PACCAR SCOUT CAMP
JOBS
ADVERTISE YOUR JOBS HERE
Sponsored Product Announcements
SHOWCASE YOUR NEW PRODUCTS HERE
PARTNERS
Garden trader
PRODUCED BY THE AD PLAIN