EDITOR'S BLOG
BUSY TIMES FOR TURF PROFESSIONALS
Short turnaround between seasons
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR
 
Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

It's a busy time for turf professionals of all sporting disciplines, with playing seasons resuming, starting and gearing up to go again!

 


We finally managed to see an end to the 2019/20 Premier League season - albeit three months late due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. What a relief for Liverpool who finally won the title. Not such good news for Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich who were all relegated.


The 2020 / 2021 season is scheduled to start on the 12th September, less than six weeks away. I am sure it is going to be a challenging few weeks for the groundmen trying to get their pitches back into condition before the start of the new season.

 

 

After a short break most players will be back in training on or near the 20th August. Having spoken to several groundmen they will spend the next few weeks verticutting, aerating, oversowing and feeding their pitches to get them ready.


The same can be said for the Gallagher Premiership Rugby groundsmen. They are again busy getting their pitches ready for a proposed resume of their league games to complete the 2019/2020 season on the 15th August. For many clubs, training has been granted under strict social distancing rules.

 


There is plenty of evidence of the good work many groundsmen are doing up and down the country as seen on many of the social networking sites, where many are posting pictures of the work they are doing on their grounds.


As for cricket, the domestic season is well underway with many clubs enjoying a return of grass roots play. The Test between England and West Indies was a great advert for the game, between two well balanced teams. Credit to the groundsmen of both counties, who prepared the wickets in somewhat of a difficult growing season.

 

 

As for me, I am looking forward to getting out and about in the coming months. I have got a couple of rugby clubs to visit to conduct some pitch assessments for the RFU, along with some planned visits to football, cricket and bowls clubs to acquire some feature articles for TurfPro.


Also, in my role of Green Flag judge, I will be conducting a number of visits to various parks to complete this year’s awards. On the subject of parks, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the parks managers and their dedicated staff for keeping these valuable assets open and safe during this unprecedented pandemic.

 

 

Paul Rabbitts of the Parks Management Forum wrote a letter to Boris Johnson on the role of parks recently – the whole of which you can read here. He asked for government support in funding these essential public facilities,


The Parks Management Forum is now urging all MPs, Local Authorities and Government Departments to support the following recommendations:

  • Ring-fence appropriate funding to protect, enhance and sustain parks and green infrastructure services for future generations;
  • Acknowledge the success of local authorities and all other relevant organisations in managing public parks and open spaces during the COVID19 lockdown and the widespread public affection for them;
  • Recognise the important role parks and open spaces had during the pandemic and will have in the ongoing recovery process, with likely greater usage, and in the health and well-being, socio-economic and environmental agendas and allocate emergency funding to support this role;
  • Support nature recovery plans as part of the Environment Bill; and
  • Encourage all local authorities to adopt a Green Infrastructure or Green Spaces Strategy, underpinning the value of parks and open spaces for public health, regeneration and well-being, social equity, biodiversity and climate change resilience.

 

Finally I would like to mention some industry events on the horizon.

 

The Amenity Forum is holding its annual conference on October 15th, 2020 where the theme will be Planning for the Future. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, the Forum has decided to switch the conference to a fully online format using specialist professional conferencing facilities. For more detail, contact Admin@amenityforum.net


This year’s Service Dealer Conference and Awards is planned for 19th November 2020 at the Double Tree by Hilton Oxford Belfry. A great networking event for the UK's machinery dealers, the organisers have said the event will take place physically, digitally or a blend of the two.


As for our two major industry shows, they are still pencilled in to take place on :-

  • BTME - 19-21st January 2021
  • SALTEX - 3-4th March 2021

However, from what I can gather, Boris Johnson has plans to keep the two Nightingale Hospitals at the NEC and in the Harrogate Convention Centre in place, during the time the shows are planned.


We will have to wait and see if this in any way affects the ability of either show to run as scheduled?

NEWS
AMENITY FORUM MOVE CONFERENCE ONLINE
Scheduled for October 15th 2020
 
The Amenity Forum have switched this year's conference to fully online

This week's WEB ONLY story is following full consideration of the circumstances, the Amenity Forum say they have decided to switch delivery of its annual conference to a fully online format.

 


3,383 GRANTS AWARDED BY CLUB PREPARATION FUND
40,131 teams helped
 
40,131 teams will be helped by the grants

Following £7m of investment through the Pitch Preparation Fund, the Football Foundation has announced it is awarding grants worth £1,691,500.

 


Football’s return has been given a financial boost through the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation.


Following £7m of investment through the Pitch Preparation Fund, which is helping clubs improve playing surfaces, the Foundation has announced it is awarding 3,383 grants worth £1,691,500 to organisations across the country through the Club Preparation Fund. This was open to applications in the first half of July.


The Club Preparation Fund will help clubs prepare their buildings to safely reopen in line with Government guidance around hygiene and social distancing, and The FA’s plans for a ‘phased return’ that were announced on 18 July.

 

The Club Preparation Fund’s impact in numbers:

  • A total of 3,383 grants awarded
  • £1,691,500 of investment
  • A total of 40,131 football teams benefiting
  • 32,921 grassroots teams benefiting
  • 6,742 teams in The FA National League System will benefit
  • 197 teams in The FA Women’s Football Pyramid will benefit
  • 10 grants awarded to clubs in the Welsh Cymru Premier League.

These grants will help football sites to satisfy the extra hygiene measures that Government guidance requires. This includes:

  • Installing hygiene facilities, such as hand sanitiser dispensers, soap dispensers, paper towel dispensers and waste bins
  • Modifications, such as safety screening, contactless payment systems and signage
  • Facility maintenance work, such as repairing hand basins and hot water provision
  • Professional inspections that may be necessary due to the prolonged period of closure resulting from the pandemic – including inspections of water quality, gas and ventilation.

The Pitch Preparation Fund awarded £7m to 2,902 organisations. This is enabling over 9,000 football pitches to be made match-fit and is benefiting more than 33,000 football teams.


Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said: “Football is at the heart of communities across the country and we’re determined to help local clubs bounce back stronger than ever.


“I’m delighted to see grassroots football return and I know this investment will do so much to help teams stay safe as they get back on the pitch.”


The FA also released bespoke guidance for outdoor facility providers to help achieve the Government’s guidelines. Providers will need to carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment, then adapt their facilities via three key ‘controls’: promoting good hygiene; keeping facilities and equipment clean; and maintaining social distancing and avoiding congestion.


Clubs and other organisations can access to the Football Foundation Groundskeeping Community for free. This is an online resource of advice and guidance for looking after natural grass pitches. Anyone can sign up at https://thefa.hivelearning.com/groundskeeping.

MOWERS ARE THE VIDEO STARS
David Withers' selling success with home-produced product videos
 
David Withers, md of Iseki UK

When the lock-down was announced, David Withers, md of Iseki UK wondered how he was going to promote and sell his product range at the start of the growing season.

 


When the lock-down was announced, David Withers, md of Iseki UK wondered how he was going to promote and sell his product range at the start of the growing season.

 

 

“As a company we were only two years old, and the blanket restrictions were obviously going to have a negative impact,” he says. “So with my wife and family as film crew and with a paddock alongside my house, we immediately set about making product videos, model by model.


“The response was almost immediate, people were ringing up saying ‘Yes, just what I want’ and placing an order there and then.


“Because they had a rather home-made feel to them, and because we could focus on the features that mattered and show the machine at work in typical UK conditions, I think they had more authenticity than slicker corporate videos.


“I think they were also impressed when they rang up and discovered that it was the MD doing the demonstrating!” He adds, “Also feedback from dealers has been terrific, they feel that it really helps their sales team and their customers”.


The success of the product videos and their likely future place in marketing by dealers is part of a wide-ranging conversation, David had recently with TurfPro founder Chris Biddle for his new series of podcasts, Inside Agri-Turf


During the podcast, David also talks about the cultural differences between the UK and US dealers and suppliers gained from his 6-year term as President of Jacobsen based in Charlotte, North Carolina; about future of robotics in the commercial turfcare market and the advantages of selling a single brand rather than a ‘stable of brands’.


You can listen to the full podcast here.

JOHN PIKE RETIRES
Following 48 years in turfcare industry
 
John Pike

Reesink Turfcare has announced "with sadness and genuine gratitude for the role he has played in the company", the retirement of regional manager John Pike.

 


Reesink Turfcare has announced "with sadness and genuine gratitude for the role he has played in the company", the retirement of regional manager John Pike.

 

John has spent 17 and a half years working with the Toro UK distributor and its predecessor Lely UK, and close to half a century working in the turfcare industry.

 

John Pike

 

John first started work straight out of school and made the move to Triumph Motorcycles in the West Midlands, but after completing his engineering HND he soon realised he belonged in his home county of Dorset. He moved back and began working as a warehouse assistant at J.T. Lowes Garden Machinery, part of the Flymo company (the original importers of Toro), in what was originally meant to be a summer job, but soon saw him work his way up to trade and retail sales manager, and then area sales manager for Flymo in 1986.

 

It wasn’t until 2001 that he joined the then Toro UK distributor Lely as a business development manager, and it was his passion for Toro machinery that inspired him to join, says John. “I had been involved with Toro since 1972, and enjoyed demonstrating the Toro70, 58, Trojan, GM3 and GM72 through the 70’s and 80’s and saw the brand develop and progress. I’ve always had faith in Toro’s quality and its place as an industry leader within turfcare.”

 

Coming from a consumer machinery company, John was one of the first to join Lely without full commercial experience. “I had to go from selling many thousands of inexpensive mowers a year, to selling hundreds of Toro machines at a much higher price point, so that was definitely a learning curve for me.”

 

But that didn’t stop John from making his mark with both Lely, and later Reesink, playing a fundamental role in the appointment of new Toro dealers and service centres in the South West region, a career highlight for him.

 

“I’m particularly proud of the work I did appointing service centres, some of which I had to really fight for,” says John. “And of course whenever I was able to convert a customer to Toro that gave me a real buzz. The harder the challenge, the more satisfying it was!”

 

John has seen many changes throughout his time in the industry, but the move towards finance deals he says has been the biggest. “It used to be that clubs would buy one or two machines a year on a rolling basis, which would mean they’d end up with a fleet of both brand new and 10-year old machinery! When I started, I would only get two or three fleet deals a year, and only really with the bigger clubs. Now, the introduction of finance options allow more clubs, irrespective of size, to secure fully modern fleets for course maintenance, which has been a really positive change to see.”

 

David Cole, managing director at Reesink says: “John has been the stable bedrock of our Midlands and South West regions forever, it seems. So, replacing him will be an obvious challenge – but he leaves his many colleagues and dealer partners in good shape for the next step. We wish John a long and happy retirement and thank him for his excellent contribution to the Toro profile and customer service in his region.”

 

John’s retirement plans have changed somewhat due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, however this isn’t going to stop him from enjoying all of his hobbies.

 

“Originally I was meant to be flying off to the sunny Maldives to spend a couple of weeks detoxing the workaholic out of me! But that will have to be postponed for now. Instead, I’m looking forward to enjoying my hobbies; shooting, water skiing, off-road driving and photography - definitely enough to keep me busy!”

 

Having “loved every aspect of the job” it certainly is bittersweet for John to be saying goodbye. “I will miss most the relationships I’ve made during my time at work. I’ve made so many friends, and I’ve had so many lovely comments and well wishes already from customers and colleagues alike. In return, I wish them all the best for the future.”

GIE+EXPO 2020 POSTPONED UNTIL 2021
Louisville, Kentucky show won't take place in October
 
GIE+EXPO

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, organisers have announced that the 2020 show will be postponed until next year - with OPEI head, Kris Kiser sending TurfPro a special video message.

 


Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and continued regulatory uncertainty, GIE/OPEI, LLC have announced that the 2020 GIE+EXPO show scheduled to take place in October in Louisville, Kentucky, will be postponed until next year.

 

Kris Kiser, President and CEO of OPEI, and managing partner of GIE+EXPO sent TurfPro and sister magazine Service Dealer a special video message explaining the decision which you can watch below.

 

Service Dealer: A message from OPEI CEO Kris Kiser

 

 

Show ownership and management (GIE/OPEI, LLC) of GIE+EXPO, the Green Industry and Equipment Exposition, say they have been monitoring the situation closely, and have been working with state and local authorities to put on the safest show possible. Unfortunately, they say, the unpredictable nature of such a rapidly evolving environment prohibited this year’s show from taking place safely.


“The health and safety of our attendees and exhibitors is critical, and it is with profound regret that we announce the cancellation of our 2020 event,” said Kris Kiser.

 

“We’re looking forward to 2021 and already gearing up to make our next show a dynamic and engaging experience for the entire industry. I encourage exhibitors and attendees that have already registered or secured exhibit space to roll those monies forward to the 2021 show.”

 

 

Next autumn, the organisers say that attendees and exhibitors will experience several updates to the Kentucky Exposition Center grounds. The facility is undertaking $8 million in outdoor improvements and enhancements, including:

  • Replacing the main entry gates to improve ingress and egress.
  • Expanding paved areas on the north side of the building to increase exhibit space opportunities.
  • Relocating more than 126,000 cubic yards of soil, to the Outdoor Demonstration Area to improve drainage and irrigation to the grounds.
  • Adding permanent driving lanes to the Demo Area.
  • Improving pedestrian access from nearby hotels

Despite the need to postpone this year’s show, the Kris Kiser says the industry in the U.S continues to thrive. “Manufacturers, landscapers, and outdoor power equipment dealers have been deemed essential during this ongoing pandemic, and the industry continues to play a major role in keeping greenspaces around the country safe and accessible,” he said.


“What we’ve learned during this period is the extraordinary importance of the living landscape to our mental and physical health, especially for homeowners who have a yard."

FIRST GOLF CLUB TO OWN NEW ALL-ELECTRIC MOWER
Supplied by Cheshire Turf Machinery
 
L-R: Reesink Turfcare’s Mike Turnbull, Cheshire Turf Machinery’s Steve Halley, course manager Ian Beech and general manager Richard Beech.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Golf Club is the first club in the UK to be using Toro's eTriFlex 3370, supplied by local dealer Cheshire Turf Machinery.

 


Newcastle-under-Lyme Golf Club is the first club in the UK to be using Toro's new all-electric eTriFlex 3370, supplied by local dealer Cheshire Turf Machinery.

 

L-R: Reesink Turfcare’s Mike Turnbull, Cheshire Turf Machinery’s Steve Halley, course manager Ian Beech and general manager Richard Beech

 

Course manager Ian Beech says it was six years ago that he first heard about the battery technology in development during a visit to Toro’s headquarters and R&D centre in Minneapolis.

 

Iain said, “Seeing the prototype and hearing all about this game-changing technology really captured my interest and I’ve been waiting for the day we could get our hands on one of these machines ever since.”

 

That day arrived in late spring and Iain says the new mower has exceeded expectations for him and the six-strong team. “One of the main selling points was that the battery could mow up to 20 average sized greens on a single charge. Incredibly we’ve been getting up to 56 greens done! Even with accessories such as the grooming brushes on the cutting units we’re still getting 38-40 greens done!

 

“We racked up 90 hours in the first five weeks, we charge it overnight and as yet haven’t noticed an increase on our electric bill. We’re looking into installing solar panels on the shed roof, so perhaps in time there will be no reliance on the main electric supply at all to power the machine.”

 

Iain says when he started in the greenkeeping industry, there was a limited shed of equipment: two tractors, some Flymos and a couple of triple mowers, and with each passing year as Ian noticed how the demands on the course were getting greater, he soon struck up a relationship with nearby dealer Cheshire Turf Machinery to help him develop the course into one of the most consistent and fast in the area.

 

“I always attend the shows to see what’s available and network to learn from other people’s experiences,” he says. “It’s for those reasons I’m confident we have the best combination working with Cheshire Turf Machinery and Reesink and using Toro. Add to that having the right staff, the right training and a progressive club who continues to invest in its future and the result has been an increase in membership as the country comes out of lockdown.”

 

Richard Beech, club manager, concludes by saying: “Having this machine means we don't have to choose between being responsible neighbours and preparing the course for our members. It is unbelievable just how quiet this machine is, it means we can cut the greens in the very early hours without disturbing the houses next to the course. It is very exciting to be the first to have the new electric mower and pleasing that our members are seeing the benefits.”

ECHO RUNNING BATTERY PROMO
Second free battery
 
Echo have launched a new promotion

Echo is offering their customers a free second battery worth up to £199 when a selected 58V kit of power tool, battery and charger is purchased.

 


Echo has announced a new promotional offer.

 

 

The manufacturer is offering their customers a free second battery worth up to £199 when a selected 58V kit of power tool, battery and charger is purchased.

 

The offer is available on the Echo 58V chainsaw (CS-58V4AH) where customers get a free 4Ah second battery, and power blower (PLB-58V2AH), double-sided hedgetrimmer (HT-58V2AH) or trimmer (DST-58V2AH) with free second 2Ah battery when purchased with a battery and charger.

 

The offer began on 1st July 2020 and runs until 30th June 2021 but only while stocks last and it can’t be combined with any other deal.

JOBS
ADVERTISE YOUR JOBS HERE
Amazing success rates!
 
Advertise your jobs on TurfPro Weekly Briefing

Advertise your recruitment needs on TurfPro Weekly Briefing and reach our targeted audience of recipients every week.

Contact Nikki Harrison for details - 01491 837117


PREVIOUS FEATURES
EDITOR'S BLOG ARCHIVE
Catch up with Laurence Gale's recent blogs
 
TurfPro editor, Laurence Gale

Want to catch up with one of editor Laurence Gale's blogs? Here is the place to do so.

 


BUDGET STATEMENT
The bane of the turf professional's life

 

NICE TO BE BUSY AGAIN
Getting out and about

 

CRICKET IS BACK!
Refreshing to see

 

LITTER LOUTS
What can be done?

 

INVESTING IN OUR FACILITIES
Vitally important right now

 

WEATHER STIMULATING PATHOGENS
Prevalence of turf diseases

 

TIMES ARE CHANGING
True value of parks highlighted

 

GREEN IS THE COLOUR
Much needed rain

 

SUMMER HAS ARRIVED
We're entering a new phase

 

A GRADUAL RECOVERY
Impressive response from our sports turf industry

 

FIRST STEPS TO NORMALITY
Golf courses reopen

 

MOVING ON TO THE NEXT PHASE
Of the pandemic

 

HOW ARE WE COPING?
After six weeks of lockdown

 

PARKS AND OPEN SPACES TO THE RESCUE
During the Covid-19 crisis

 

KEEPING OUR RESOLVE
During the lockdown

 

GETTING ON WITH THE JOB
As best and as safely as we can

 

TIME TO REFLECT
Our pace of life has changed dramatically

 

TESTING TIMES AHEAD
Grasping the effects on our industry

 

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES
Covid-19's impact on our sector

 

SWITCHED ON TRADE DAY
Makita launch 30 new products

 

WHO SAID WE ONLY CUT GRASS?!
It takes years to acquire all the turf professional skills

 

TIME MARCHES ON
New month to hopefully bring much needed sunshine and drying winds

 

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY
Come again another day!

 

THE PLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE
What can we do to help?

 

SPRING HAS SPRUNG
Essential renovations

 

CELEBRATING 2020
Amenity Forum making plans

 

A DIVERSE & ENTERTAINING WEEK
Successful BTME 2020

 

TIME TO GET FIT
Our industry can help tackle the growing obesity crisis

 

WINTER WORKS AND SHOWS
Plenty to occupy in January

 

LOOKING AHEAD
What might 2020 hold in store?

 

View all of 2019's blogs here

 

View all of 2018's blogs here

TURFPRO FEATURE ARCHIVE
Find our previous features here
 
TurfPro Feature Archive

If you want to catch up with any of TurfPro's previous features, here is the place to do so.


CRICKET LOAM
What does it mean?

 

A HERCULEAN EFFORT TO GET PARKS BACK TO NORMAL
Q&A with Chris Worman, Rugby Borough Council’s parks and ground manager

 

ON TEST
STIHL battery products

 

TURFGRASS STRESS MANAGEMENT
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and antioxidants during biotic and abiotic stress in turfgrass plants

 

AUTUMN DISEASE MANAGEMENT
The coming months are going to prove very difficult

 

THE ABUSE OF PARKS . .
Is the abuse of society

 

WHY PARKS MATTER?
A statement from the Parks Management Forum to the Prime Minister

 

THE 21st CENTURY PARKS MANAGER
Innovative, creative and entrepreneurial

 

EAT, SLEEP, CUT, REPEAT!
Cricket under covid

 

TIME FOR A SINGLE SHOW?
Debate brought back into focus

 

A CHALLENGING TWO MONTHS
Running golf design projects from home

 

PRESSURE SITUATION
Cementing the reputation

 

A CLUB TO BE PROUD OF
10 years at the helm of Olton GC

 

GAME CHANGERS IN TURFCARE
The day the Lord's outfield reconstruction proved its worth

 

THE ESSENCE OF ESSENTIAL
Finding a sensible way forward on defining "essential maintenance"

 

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS
2001

 

HOW TO LOOK AFTER A GOLF COURSE WITH NO GOLFERS
Fundamental to the survival of almost all courses, if not of the game itself

 

RAIN STOPPED PLAY WOULD BE WELCOME
. . along with ‘lunch is being taken early’

 

PHYSICAL CONTROL OF TURFGRASS PESTS
An urgent problem

 

A DIVERSE & ENTERTAINING WEEK
Successful BTME 2020

 

INTEGRATED PEST CONTROL
Opportunity to embrace new methods

 

ENVILLE ON THE UP
Major investments taking place

 

GREEN FLAG AWARDS 2019
A great success

 

U.S PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT SHOW EXCELS
Buoyant GIE+EXPO

 

LEGACY OF THE SOLHEIM CUP
At Gleneagles

 

A DAY OUT WITH THE LADIES
Behind the scenes at the Solheim Cup

 

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY'S EDIBLE GARDEN SUCCESS
2006 - present

 

HAIL THE GRASS MASTERS!
Boorish media comments about pitch quality are wide of the mark

 

CONTRACTOR SEES MULTI-DISCIPLINE SUCCESS
360 Ground Care serving professional facilities

 

BUSY TIMES
Judging the Green Flag Awards

 

TAKING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
What does it all mean in managing turf surfaces?

 

UNDER PRESSURE
Dry weather conditions continue to keep turf managers focused on moisture management

 

EDDIE SEAWARD
Death of Wimbledon’s influential grounds manager

 

MAJOR NEW IRRIGATION PROJECT
At Top 100 classic Berkhamsted Golf Club

 

NEW HORIZONS FOR THE HATTERS
Investment paying off at Kenilworth Road

 

ELIZABETHAN RESTORATION
At Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

 

WHAT IS BIOPHILIA?
The vital impact of parks and green spaces on health and well-being

 

WORM CONTROL
Without carbendazim

 

THE TRUE COST OF PETROL
Battery-powered outdoor power tools are now turning the heads of professionals

 

SANDS OF TIME
Sand-based pitches are now the norm in professional sports

 

WHY DO WE DO THE RIGHT THING?
We must maintain industry standards

 

CHASING GRASS PERFECTION?
11 things you need to know . . .

 

MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Q&A with BASIS ceo, Stephen Jacobs

 

STRI RESEARCH DAY 2018
Hosted at research trial grounds in Bingley

 

THE MECHANIC
Leicester City FC invest in new role

 

LORD'S 'GRASS-GUVNOR' TO RETIRE
Mick Hunt bows out after 49 years

 

HOLLOW CORING & DEEP SCARIFICATION
Is it really necessary?

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PARTNERS
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FEATURE
PARKS NEED APPROPRIATE POLITICAL REPRESENTATION
Q&A with Philippa Reece, Parks and Foreshore Manager at Adur and Worthing Council
 
Phiippa Reece

Phiippa Reece says if the sector had a parks minister, appropriate funding, resources and opportunities could be created.

 


TurfPro editor, Laurence Gale, writes . .


As a member of the newly formed Parks Management Forum I would like, over the next few weeks, to introduce you to some of the key members of the Forum. The intention is to gain a better understanding of the role parks managers play in managing and maintaining our vital public open spaces that we have treasured during this Covid-19 Pandemic.


Philippa Reece, Parks and Foreshore Manager at Adur and Worthing Council

 


Philippa Reece is a highly experienced and tenacious manager, with an 18 year demonstrable track record of delivering success within both parks and urban green spaces management.


Serving as the lead officer within Greater Manchester for all social housing providers connected to the management of Blue and Green assets, she has brought together city-wide strategies and stakeholders from both the housing sector and the environmental sector for the first time within the region, creating a network of professionals. In turn she has created pioneering approaches to delivery, policy, opportunities, research and obtaining the first Green Flag Award within the Social Housing setting within the North and only the second within the country.


Philippa worked closely with Manchester University and the Mayor’s team in the delivery of the 1st Green Summit within Greater Manchester. Whilst working for Manchester City Councils Parks Department she worked as major events lead.

 


She presently sits on the Chief Executive’s Climate Emergency Board for Adur and Worthing Council as part of the declaration of a Climate Emergency.


Philippa is also a National and International Green Flag Award Judge as well as social media volunteer for multiple platforms for this profile, which has led to an invite to Buckingham Palace as part of 'service to the environment.'


What made you choose a career in local authority parks management?


As a child my dream was to work in a forest. I then kind of got lost away from that for a period of time and focused on sport. Reflecting back, that was because sport was part of our education system where our world of parks did not feature in our education system at all.


I was then reintroduced back to parks through an ex being a Park Ranger for Manchester City Council and had that dream reignited. Seasonal jobs were available at the time and I was in a good place with my present employer who enabled me to work nights and weekends so that I could work during the week as a seasonal ranger to try and get my foot in the door for full time employment. I was lucky enough to be the only ranger kept on as a full-time role enabling me to then leave my other job and focus on bringing my dream to reality. The rest is history.

 

 

How many staff do you manage and what portfolio do you sit in?


I presently have 53 people in the team that I am responsible for and sit within Environmental Service and the Communities directorate as a department.

 

Are your staff in-house, private contractor or a mix of both?


We are lucky that all our staff are in-house.

 

What have been the significant challenges you had to face in managing your parks and opens paces in the last few years?


Skill deficit plus an aging workforce and associated challenges with manual work and working outside. Also budget challenges, re-profiling and availability verses demand and wants from the system and public. There is also a climate emergency in the middle of all this as well.

 

 

What significant work projects have you managed to complete in the last three years?


I have been blessed to come into this roll just as we obtained heritage lottery funding for the preservation and restoration of the amazing Highdown Gardens

 

How have you coped with the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic?


Covid-19 has played a huge role with challenges both operationally on the ground, as well as staff being redeployed to help in other sections – plus with the impact on the service delivery connected to that.


The demand on our beaches and parks with so many people not being in work and the volume of waste has been phenomenal. Keep in mind we also have 1/3 of my team not fully operational due to the covid restrictions in place.

 


Staff have also had to deal with abuse from the public. As they are not seen as an essential service they have been told they 'should be doing something else to help'! It begs the question of what people think our parks would look like if we were not maintaining them?


The unknown factors of this pandemic, for example with last minute updates on changes from the briefing sessions which needed implementing overnight across the sector, has made it a really high-pressured work environment to operate within. Exhausting actually.


I was redeployed into the crematorium as part of the response with no operational managers beneath me being available on site - so 50, 60, 70 hour weeks to try and support both services. Very challenging indeed.


Saying that, I feel proud and honoured to have played a key role in our response to Covid-19 and for the part the team has played.

 

What are the new challenges for your service coming out of Covid 19?


Who knows really? The feeling of anxiety, venturing into the unknown, is still ever present within staff and our communities in which we operate. My biggest fear is council funding and the impacts that Covid-19 will have on this. Until we understand what that actually means financially, we can only speculate.

 

Do you think we will have a problem attracting new people into the parks sector in the coming years?


Absolutely. Pay isn't attractive. Lots of people want to career change into our sector, but arrive with no experience or qualifications. Our roles are skilled roles that need appropriate training and experience. It will continue to become ever more challenging.

 

 

What changes would you like to see to help parks professionals deliver the best possible service?


We need appropriate representation politically - we don’t even have a parks minister, so we never get a fair crack of the whip.


If we had a minister this could create appropriate funding, resources and opportunities that we have always been battling for. Think of what we could achieve with this in place.


Parks are absolutely vital to us as Covid-19 has highlighted. There is research coming out of our ears also demonstrating this. The big question is why has that not then manifested into us even being deemed as an essential service?

 

How do you think the newly formed Parks Management Forum can help you to promote and enhance the opportunities and work of the parks professional?


It’s great to have a collective voice of professionals from within the sector that understand our operational world, challenges and opportunities.


We are the group that need to be consulted with as we are the people that truly understand it. Look at the recent guidelines for opening play areas in parks, it couldn't have been further away from what was achievable operationally. This poses the question of what resources they think we actually have - as it was a county mile away from reality.


It also gives us opportunities to support each other plus share our experiences and best practices. To challenge each other also. We also need to have the ability to lobby as a collective to support our cause. As we are government officers we need to be mindful of this.


I am excited to be a part of this journey. Parks really are our national treasure that I want to protect, enhance and love and care for.