We've mentioned it many times here on TurfPro before, but it cannot be underestimated the value which professionally maintained parks and amenity green spaces bring to communities across the nation.

Turf professionals on the front line know just how important these areas truly are. They also know how they are severely under threat due to the lack of proper funding for the specialist upkeep these spaces require.

Therefore, it's always pleasing when professional bodies and institutions produce research which keeps the sector and its importance under the spotlight. Keeping the pressure on those in charge of the purse strings to not overlook what these spaces provide, is vital for the good of all - both professionals and the public alike.

The latest headline to come from one of these reports is that parks and green spaces across the United Kingdom provide people with over £34 billion of wellbeing benefits. Which is certainly an attention-grabbing claim!

The charity Fields in Trust who have made this claim, say that the £34 billion of wellbeing benefits are a result of people enjoying greater life satisfaction including both improved physical and mental health, directly as a result of using parks and green spaces.

The research Revaluing Parks and Green Spaces, compiled using HM Treasury approved methodology, finds that parks and green spaces save the National Health Service at least £111 million per year. Fields in Trust say this figure is based solely on prevented GP visits and doesn’t include savings from non-referrals for treatment or prescriptions - which they say means that the actual savings to the taxpayer will be significantly higher.

The report also calculates that parks provide a total economic value to each person in the UK of just over £30 per year. The value of parks and green spaces is higher for individuals from lower socio-economic groups and minority backgrounds. This means, say Fields In Turst, that any loss of parks and green spaces will disproportionately impact disadvantaged and underrepresented communities, precisely those who value them the most.

Like many others, the charity are increasingly concerned that parks and green spaces are ever more at risk - with recent research from The Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) showing that 95% of parks professionals are concerned that a lack of investment in them will have health and social impacts. In addition, previous research from Fields in Trust showed that nearly one in five people (16%) say that their local park or green space has been under threat of being lost or built on.

Helen Griffiths, Chief Executive of Fields in Trust, said, “This report clearly demonstrates the economic and wellbeing benefits that parks and green spaces bring to people across the UK. At a time when parks and green spaces are under threat, this is valuable evidence that the loss of green space is hugely damaging to people’s welfare.

“The research also confirms that any decision by a public body to remove a park or green space is completely short-sighted - and will in fact likely cost more money than is saved. In health alone parks and green spaces saved the NHS at least £111 million per year through prevented GP visits - enough to pay for more than 3,500 nurses.

“The evidence is now clear: green spaces are good, they do good and they need to be protected for good. That’s why as part of our new strategy Fields in Trust is committing itself to protecting more green spaces, so that people up and down our country, both now and in the future, can continue to benefit from them.”

Groups like Fields In Trust should be applauded for what they are trying to achieve. Let’s hope with continued pressure, keeping the subject regularly within the public discourse, those in charge start to pay serious attention.

If you want to read more, you can download the full Revaluing Parks and Green Spaces research report here.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2018 Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Industry Awards, with 21 categories of entry recognising the passion, dedication and challenges faced by grounds staff in both grassroots and professional sports at clubs of every size and from all corners of the UK.

2017 Award winners

This year’s awards - the 10th in the series are being held on October 31 at the Hilton Metropole hotel at the Birmingham NEC, on the evening of the first day of SALTEX - includes the introduction of new awards and enhancements to existing categories.

To celebrate the anniversary, the IOG is planning some changes to the awards event which has continually grown in status for acknowledging the achievements of volunteer and professional grounds teams, as well as community clubs and national stadia.

Commenting, IOG chief executive Geoff Webb says: "We are planning some exciting developments for the awards presentations to mark the 10th anniversary. We have added new categories and enhanced the entry criteria - opening up the awards to more potential winners from all sectors of society - at all levels of the sporting spectrum.

“The awards continue to provide the only national stage for the achievements of everyone involved in groundscare across all levels of sport - whether professional teams at stadia or, indeed, the lone volunteer groundsman at a small village club.

“Importantly, applications to every category are encouraged from Scotland, Ireland and Wales, as well as England.”

He adds: “These are the only awards for groundsmen that are judged by groundsmen, and we are lucky to have a dedicated group of volunteer judges with a range of backgrounds that encompass the diversity of the industry and profession today.

“Please take the time to nominate as you must know many deserving candidates and great examples of sports turf management at every level.”

The 2018 IOG Industry Award categories are:

• IOG Toro Most Promising Sports Turf Student of the Year
• IOG Rigby Taylor/Top Green Young Grounds Person of the Year
• IOG Redexim Charterhouse/AMS Volunteer Sports Grounds Person/Team of the Year
• IOG National Governing Bodies’ Community Sports Club Grounds Team/Individual of the Year
• IOG Public Sector Sports Grounds Team of the Year
• IOG Bowling Greenkeeper/Team of the Year
• IOG Best Managed Artificial Surface Award
• IOG Ransomes Environmental and Ecology Strategy Award
• IOG National Governing Bodies’ Professional Multi- Sports Ground/Facility
• IOG Headland Amenity Professional Cricket Grounds Team of the Year
• IOG Professional Tennis Courts Grounds Team/Individual of the Year
• IOG John Deere Professional Horse Racing Grounds Team of the Year
• IOG Professional Rugby Football League Grounds Team of the Year
• IOG Kubota Professional Rugby Football Union Grounds Team of the Year
• IOG SISGrass Professional Football Grounds Team of the Year - for English Leagues 1 & 2, National League, National League North/South, Scottish Championship & Leagues 1 & 2, Ireland & Wales Professional Leagues
• IOG SGL Professional Football Grounds Team of the Year - for the Premier League, Championship and Scottish Premier League
• IOG University/College Grounds Team of the Year
• IOG Growth Products Independent School Grounds Team of the Year
• IOG International Ambassador of the Year
• The IOG Ransomes/DLF Johnsons Alex R Millar Award – to the person chosen as the outstanding winner across all award categories
• IOG GrassMaster Solutions Lifetime/Outstanding Achievement Award.

To make nominations, visit www.iog.org/awards where you can also find full details of entry criteria for each award.

Dorchester Town chairman Matt Lucas has said the installation of the Magpies’ new 3G artificial pitch is a “massive step” for the Southern League Premier club.

Local paper the Dorset Echo reported that preparation work began last week on the surface, with the grass being sprayed ready for removal tomorrow (Tuesday, May 8).

Matt Lucas told the Echo, "It’s a massive step and we’re really excited. The grass is being sprayed before the contractors come in on May 8, then they will begin taking away all the excess.

“It’s really starting in earnest, we’re really excited. It’s great to be able to achieve what we as a club have achieved with having it.

“A hell of a lot of work has gone into it over a long period of time. Our thanks go to West Dorset Council, Dorchester Town Council, Dorchester Town Youth and the Section 106 Committee – the sub-committee has worked so hard in finding the right pathway for us.”

Matt Lucas continued, "What’s been great is that everyone has come in and been involved in getting the 3G and of course the supporters and people that follow the club in purchasing the squares.

“It’s really, really positive seeing everybody pulling together and getting ready for next season.

“We obviously see it as a great thing for the place as a whole because football is going to be available for an awful lot of people in the area.

“What makes it for me is how everybody is coming together to make this happen. I would personally like to thank the sub-committee that have been planning everything over a long period of time.

“I’m extremely pleased for them that we’ve got to the stage we’re at now."

Making the switch to a brand new grass seed after using the same mixture for 10 years is a big step, but one that Grounds Manager Adam Grantham made at both the Madejski Stadium and Reading FC’s training ground, Hogwood Park.

Now into his second season, he says the switch to Johnsons Sports Seed J Premier Pitch is paying off, with the mixture delivering all of the qualities Adam looks for in creating top-rate surfaces.

The grounds team at Reading FC

“When I first took over the management of the stadium, as well as the training facilities, 4 years ago Johnsons was the seed of choice” explains Adam who has been with Reading Football Club for 14 years. “Although I could see what the Johnsons mixture was capable of, I kept with my head and stuck with the mixtures I was familiar with.”

However, after hearing lots about the J Premier Pitch mixture Adam decided to trial it on one of the nine pitches at the training ground and was very happy with the results.

“The response we got, compared to what we were using, was far superior in terms of the colour, wear and disease resistance - which are the key qualities I was looking for. I also checked out the cultivars in the STRI book and when you see them all towards the top, you know you’re getting a good mixture.”

Following the successful trial, Adam says he was happy to make the switch seeding all nine training pitches, as well as the Stadium pitch, with Johnsons Premier Pitch.

“We’ve kept all other elements the same, the seed is fed the same, but we’ve seen a great improvement in the quality of the pitches," Adam said.

The Arb Show takes place at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire this week on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th May - sponsored for the 14th year by STIHL.

The show takes place each day between 9am and 5pm, with entry costing £10 for adults or free if you're a member of the Arboricultural Association.

Timberwolf will be exhibiting at the show and will be launching their new TW 280TVGTR  variable, tracked chipper.

Timberwolf 280TVGTR

The company says the new machine features TW 280 performance with the ability to move the tracks in and out, raise the height of the machine off the ground and alter the angle, making tackling difficult ground conditions easy.

The Wolftrack® variable tracking system features heavy-duty twin arms supporting each track, with dynamic control over track width, ground clearance and machine tilt angle, giving users greater control and comfort, particularly whilst navigating uneven and sloping ground up to 35 degrees.

Timberwolf also say the extra-wide feed funnel and open top section combine to provide users with better visibility and ease of feeding, whilst the 280mm by 210mm in-feed aperture can process over 6.5 tonnes per hour. There’s also the company's auto-feed control for smooth operation, combined with a heavier rotor giving added inertia to get the job done quicker.

The new chipper also has a low vibration and ergonomically designed ride-on platform for comfort and safety. There are also additional safety controls, such as reverse feed rollers overriding the stop bar or the carefully positioned air filter intakes to draw in cool, dust-free air.

Nefyn Golf Club has chosen new Toro equipment for use on its Old Loop, New Loop and Front Loop courses due to its power and green credentials.

Bringing in a Toro Reelmaster 5010-H, a Groundmaster 4500-D and two Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 mowers, head greenkeeper Richard Lloyd Jones explains what it is about these mowers that secured their place at the Championship club near Pwllheli in Wales.

Head greenkeeper, Richard Lloyd Jones

“We’re making a concerted effort to be more green. We’ve been running the risk of hydraulic leaks with the old machines, having had four or five over the last couple of years. Repairing the turf after one of those is time consuming and negates all the hard work that was put in to getting it to the standard it was. So, we’re eliminating that risk with Toro.

“We’ve got both ends of the spectrum covered with these two machines. The TriFlexes bring green precision to our greens mowing, while we can rely on the RM5010-H to deliver up to 40hp of green power to the fairways. We’re very pleased with the performance of these mowers so far, they’re coping with the size of the course and the demands we place on them with ease.”

The demands Richard refers to come from the course inhabiting over 200 acres and being exposed to the elements on the Welsh peninsular. This is a particular issue for the Old Loop course, the world-famous ‘Point’, so named for its situation on top of a high point of land jutting out into sea on which its nine holes are situated.

Frequent waves hit the rocks, splash the greens and the salt water scorches the grass. “The weather is definitely our biggest challenge,” says Richard. “We’re prone to being windswept and water damaged. In fact, this winter we had four greens lost due to sea water damage, so renovation takes up a lot of our time.”

This isn't the first time Toro has been at Nefyn, but a five-year lease deal with another brand has come to an end meaning the club is making its machinery replacement choices on a case-by-case basis, each decision made purely on performance and merit.

Richard says: “Working with our local dealer, Major Owen, we make our choices based on what will bring the best results to the course, and we’re delighted to have Toro back at Nefyn.”

Syngenta has appointed Glenn Kirby as the company’s new position of dedicated Technical Manager for the UK Turf & Landscape business.

Glenn Kirby

Glenn brings 25 years’ experience of practical turf management skills from both downland and parkland environments, along with experience from both corporate and members’ golf clubs. He has held the Course Manager’s role at Hockley Golf Club in Hampshire and, prior to that, as Head Greenkeeper on the Heritage course at The London Club in Kent. He has also been through the Ohio State University programme in the US, including championship preparation at the prestigious Oak Hill Country Club, along with a wide range of other tournament experience.

Throughout his career to date, Glenn highlighted his commitment has been to deliver great playing surfaces, alongside an environmentally sustainable and economically viable business. “The ethos has been to use innovation to achieve results, and to get the most out of the available budget," he said.

“Syngenta has been at the forefront of helping me to achieve that on the golf course. This exciting new role gives me the opportunity to support more greenkeepers and to help the industry to adapt to the changing picture of products, pressures and integrating technical innovation on a wider scale.”

Glenn will be working alongside Syngenta UK Business Manager, Daniel Lightfoot, to give an understanding of issues facing the UK turf industry, and together utilising the company’s R&D capability to develop practical solutions for an effective Integrated Turf Management approach.

A renowned champion of the Syngenta Operation Pollinator initiative and an advocate of improving the accuracy spray application techniques on his own course, Glenn will be looking to use his Technical Manager role to enhance the industry’s position and to further develop young greenkeepers’ skills in these areas.

South Wales contractors Peter Villars Sportsgrounds Maintenance (PVSGM) have doubled their aerator fleet. In January the Cwmbran-based family business added a Wiedenmann Terra Spike XD6 to their existing Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi8 HD.

Director, Iestyn John said, “We need to cover lots of ground fast. Clients want you in and out so they can get on with their business. Even at speed the Wiedenmanns can be relied upon do a neat and tidy job.”

Ahead of the season launching Easter meeting at Bath Race Course, PVSGM spiked the whole race course easily within a normal working day.

Iestyn working with his father, Steve John, said because of relentless poor weather it was the first occasion they had the machines in tandem.

“The Bath track is about 7 hectares. We started in the home straight with the tractors facing separate directions. Tine holders on the legs of XD are slightly further apart than the GXi8 so hole patterns weren’t strictly identical but matched closely. Both were set to 150 mm deep with heave at 10° as the roots are quite shallow and there’s a base of Cotswold stone beneath. We kept to a steady 3 km / hr.

“Last year the same job took us two days. Now with the extra Terra Spike when we see a weather window, clients will get the benefit. We can get the jobs done faster."

PVSGM have been operating in South Wales and the South West for over 30 years. With several race courses on their books they also maintain and renovate bowls, tennis rugby, cricket and football surfaces as well as helping a host of synthetic customers

Gordon Agri Scotland Ltd have announced that they have been appointed official and authorised Zetor dealers for West Central Scotland and Stirlingshire.

Steven and David Gordon of Gordon Agri Scotland Ltd

Hamish Watson from Zetor UK commented, “We are pleased to appoint Gordon Agri Scotland Ltd to represent Zetor in the Central Belt of Scotland. They are a well organised dealership combining experience and expertise that will represent Zetor core values well.”

A statement from Steven and David Gordon said, “As an established dealership in this area we look forward to securing the continued custom of the Zetor users. It’s an exciting time for our company, as the Zetor brand offers a comprehensive range of tractors that will allow us to further support our customer’s needs."

The dealership says they are running some introductory offers including low rate finance.