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EDITOR'S BLOG

INDUSTRY NEEDS TO HAVE ITS SAY
Voices must be heard
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

For us as an industry to finally move forward and provide new opportunities for better pay and working conditions I hope everybody who works in our industry completed the GMA's recent survey - not just a few hundred people.

I continue to marvel and admire the sheer scale of work being done daily by the thousands of turf professionals and volunteers who spend their time preparing and maintaining sports and amenity landscape facilities here in the UK.

As mentioned in previous blogs the size and the scale of our industry is impressive and diverse, offering a plethora of opportunities for people who would like to work in this challenging and rewarding industry.

I was pleased recently that the GMA have been conducting a proper and inclusive survey for people working in this industry to have a say on what the GMA should be doing to support, promote and retrain people who chose to come and work in this industry.

Members and non-members were being asked for feedback in the survey, that closed last Wednesday, on what they value and would like to see the GMA do for its members and the wider sector going forwards, by taking part in two surveys - one for individuals working across the sector and one for businesses or suppliers operating in the turf-care industry.

By gathering data, the GMA say they will look to review its existing benefits to members, as well as what it can offer the sector by looking to better understand what respondents believe to be most valuable and relevant following a year like no other. The GMA also say they are working on its digital offering, with its website due to be relaunched in 2022.

Let’s hope this survey will help us finally move forward as an industry. I personally feel it has been a bit long in coming, and if any of the previous and past surveys results are to go by then we still find ourselves way behind other industries.

For us to finally move forward and provide new opportunities for better pay and working conditions we really needed everybody who works in our industry to complete this survey - not just a few hundred people. The GMA state they have over 3,500 paid members, so at the very least there should close to that number of respondents. However, as we all know they are thousands more paid and volunteer grounds people working in this industry.

So I sincerely hope many have taken this opportunity to swamp the GMA with a vast response, providing at least 10,000 voices. We could finally have a proper say about what we see as required for the future to improve the industry we work in.

If this has happened, perhaps then the GMA will be in a better position to offer improved membership services , training and support - or even set up a trade union - to aid employees and help get better pay and working conditions.

We are still a fragmented industry, when it comes to pay, conditions and education.

We especially need to improve working conditions. I regularly see examples of poor staff accommodation and storage facilities that do not meet official standards. I am sure if you were to ask some head teachers, golf course secretaries and owners to live and work under these conditions, they would think differently.

Also on the machinery front, I still see sheds full of old, tired and inefficient machinery. It is time we began to invest properly to enable our grounds professionals to become more efficient and professional in the way they work. This can only be achieved by good working conditions and respect for the staff employed. Equally, staff may also need to change their habits and become more professional in the way they work and conduct themselves. It is a two-way street and we need to be more flexible and tolerant with one another and take this opportunity to change our industry for the better.

NEWS

HONDA & RFU ANNOUNCE LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP
Become title partner of Grounds Connected programme

Honda created a giant set of rugby goalposts from its fleet of new cars

In this week's first WEB ONLY story the multi-year agreement sees Honda become the Performance Partner and Official Vehicle of England Rugby.

DECLINE OF INSECT POPULATION
Linked to light pollution
by Laurence Gale, TurfPro editor

In the next WEB ONLY story, according to recent reports in the media, scientists say light pollution may be contributing to "worrying" declines in insects seen in recent decades - so what can turf professionals do to help?

AMENITY FORUM CONFERENCE TO FOCUS ON POLICY CHANGE IMPACT
'Facing the Future'

Organisers of the 2021 Amenity Forum conference, to be held on October 21st, have released some details on subjects the event will consider.

The 2021 Amenity Forum conference, to be held on October 21st, is entitled ‘Facing the Future’.

Organisers of the event say the conference will focus on policy change and its impact.

The day will commence with keynote senior speakers from Defra, the Chemicals Regulation Department of HSE (CRD) and the Environment Agency. Defra will address change resulting from the recent review of the UK National Action Plan relating to weed, pest and disease management. The CRD speaker will address changes in pesticide regulation and enforcement approaches. The Environment Agency will look at the ever tightening of regulation relating to water and its quality.

These will be followed by speakers involved operationally who will look at what more integrated approaches might mean including a specific contractor and a distributor view. There will then be a focus on the area of education and training. The Forum say policy change will bring more requirements for both training and CPD and increased innovation in how this can be delivered.

The conference programme will conclude with some individual perspectives on the future for amenity and sports space management. This will include a focus on parks, on the environmental impact of various management approaches and what is involved in creating and maintaining surfaces at an international sporting venue.

To complement this will be an exhibition area where supporters will be on hand to showcase and describe what they do and new developments. There will be the announcement of the category winners for the Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year and John Moverley will provide a presentation of his thoughts looking forward.

Priced at £95 per delegate, for further information, contact Kate at admin@amenityforum.net.

MIDLANDS PARKS FORUM CONFERENCE
Set for September 30th

Midlands Parks Forum have announced their annual conference

Organisers say the event will bring together government representatives with national green space and heritage organisations to explore the vital role that green heritage such as parks, play in post lockdown society.

The Midlands Park Forum have announced that their annual conference will be entitled 'Midlands Green Heritage' and will take place on Thursday 30 September at Century Theatre, Snibston Colliery Park, Coalville.

A spokesperson said, "Conserving and managing landscapes, features, buildings, structures, wildlife and flora and making them accessible for communities is at the heart of the work of the parks professional. Our experts will share current national strategy, best practice, and workshops will provide practical opportunities for delegates to apply policy to their own space."

The lineup of speakers is:

Dr Polly Lord, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Drew Bennelick, National Lottery Heritage Fund
Jenifer White, Historic England
Erika Diaz, Petersen Historic England
Paul Todd, Green Flag Award
Jane Findlay, The Landscape Institute

For more information and booking details click here.

SAGE SHOW CONFIRMS 2022 DATE
Taking place again next year

Sports & Grounds Expo will take place at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern again

Organisers of the Sports & Grounds Expo that took place for the first time this summer at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, have announced when the show will take place next year.

Confirming via their social media channels this week, the dates for next year's show will be July 6 - July 7 at the same venue.

In an official statement the show said, "Set in more than 100 acres of parkland at the foot of the Malvern Hills, this event is the highlight of the year for the sports and ground maintenance industry."

CHANDLERS PARTNER WITH CORVUS
Latest dealer for utility vehicles

L-R: BOSS ORV's Phil Everett; Les Butters, Chandlers' groundscare sales manager; Gavin Pell, Chandlers' md

Dealership will will cover the East Midlands and eastern England regions from their branches at Belton, Shefford, Horncastle, Spilsby, Holbeach, Barnack and Southam.

Boss ORV has announced that the latest addition to the Corvus 4 x4 dealer network is Chandlers Farm Equipment.

L-R: Boss ORV's Phil Everett; Les Butters, Chandlers' groundscare sales manager; Gavin Pell, Chandlers' md

The dealership will cover the East Midlands and eastern England regions for Corvus from their branches at Belton, Shefford, Horncastle, Spilsby, Holbeach, Barnack and Southam. Each branch will have their own demo unit Corvus Terrain 4x4 Utility Vehicle, providing sales and full service and support.

"Corvus offers a big welcome to Gavin Pell, Les Butters, Guy Ward, and all the team at Chandlers," said Phil Everett, Boss ORV's managing director.

"The partnership ensures Corvus has full sales coverage of this considerable and important region."

NAIRN GOLF CLUB EXTENDS DEAL
With Toro for machinery supply

Nairn Golf Club, situated in the Highlands of Scotland, has renewed its lease agreement with Toro, taking its fleet of machines to 22.

Course manager Richie Ewan at Nairn

Nestled on the shore of the Moray Firth, the club requires an extensive fleet of mowers to support the work of its 14-strong greenkeeping team.

As well as having various pieces of Toro grass cutting machinery to maintain different cutting heights around the two courses, the fleet contains Workman MDX utility vehicles, sprayers, turf-irons and Pro-Core 648 aerators. Nairn is also one of the first Scottish clubs to take delivery of Toro’s Greensmaster e-Triflex 3370 riding greens mower.

Course manager, Richie Ewan, said, “The performance and quality of the Toro mowers is second to none, but we are especially impressed with the electric ride-on. The cut is tremendous; as good if not better than a cut with a pedestrian mower. Plus making that step towards electric is a big environmental statement by the club.

“The machines are in daily use over both courses - our 18-hole Championship Course and the 9-hole Cameron Course - and both must be in pristine condition at all times. We have our own micro-climate in the Moray Firth, but the extreme challenges of the weather are definitely increasing and we know the Toro machinery is very reliable and user-friendly, making them a dream for our team to work with.

“Last year, 34,000 rounds of golf were played over our Championship Course despite intermittent lockdowns, and 39,000 rounds were played in 2019. We are busy with member and visitor play and we need a suite of machinery we can trust.”

As part of the agreement, Nairn Golf Club is supported with back-up care from Reesink Turfcare’s Scotland branch.

Speaking of the relationship, Richie concludes, “You’re never on your own with the product and the back-up care and tournament support over many years has been excellent. We have been using Toro since the early 90s and we are delighted to have signed yet another renewal agreement.”

LIVE PODCAST & SOCIAL MEDIA LOUNGE
At October's GIE+EXPO

Organisers say a live podcast with industry influencers and a social media lounge will be available for visitors to experience at GIE+EXPO, which takes place in Louisville, Kentucky, October 20-22.

New this year, Influencer LIVE Powered by Kohler is a live-audience podcast where organisers say attendees can interact, laugh and learn from some top names in the U.S industry’s community. The event, set for Friday, October 22, 8:00 - 9:30 AM, is hosted by Naylor Taliaferro, Paul Jamison and Caleb Auman. Featured guests include Allyn Hane, Jason Creel, Shawn and Savanaha Spencer and Kory Ballard. The event is free with trade show registration.

After launching in 2019, the ECHO Means Business Social Media Lounge returns to the show floor in a new, bigger and more central location. Decked out with sofas and massage chairs for relaxing and tables set up for quiet meetings, organisers say it’s a place to meet up with colleagues, suppliers and friends. Other highlights in the lounge include:

A series of live interviews with industry pros and exhibitors will happen throughout the three days. Attendees can stop by to listen or tune in online.
Complimentary WiFi codes will be given every half hour for those looking to share their own photos or videos on social media.
Prize drawings and swag bags
Beer and popcorn will be served in the lounge Wednesday beginning at 5:30 PM during the welcome reception on the show floor.

Click here for more information and registration.

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Sponsored Product Announcements

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