Understandably, due to the high-level rise in Covid cases, we have now been put into our third national lockdown. Back to square one for lot of people, with all non-essential businesses, shops and sporting venues closed, with the exception of professional sport.

This new lockdown is due to run at least well into February. There will be the usual advice and regulations to follow, as seen on the many government websites, along with guidance postings on the various individual sports’ governing bodies channels.

For me, the greatest threat is the mental health and physical well-being of the nation. We all need to remain positive and help one another get through this latest lockdown. 

We must be focussing on getting through the next 12 weeks and by April we should hopefully start seeing the benefits of the vaccine programme - which by then should have reduced the pressure on the NHS and we can then slowly come out of lockdown in a better frame of mind. 

Spring renovations

Come mid to late March we will all be busy, undertaking spring renovation works and we will be seeing the first signs of spring with a thrust of colour and spring growth in our parks and gardens.

Cricket clubs will have started their square preparations with some be pre-season rolling, with some professional clubs having to start much earlier. Some can often be seen preparing pitches as early as mid- February, with the aid of tents and marquees specially erected on their squares.

In the past, many professional cricket clubs would take their players overseas to warmer climates to prepare for the new season, however, with budgets becoming tighter and especially with covid, most if not all will be now be required to train on their home ground this year. This will no doubt place extra pressure on the grounds staff. Also, professional football and rugby groundsmen are being tested by the sheer number of games played during the Christmas period and up to the end of the season. Again, having to work in all weathers they and the rest of the professional grounds teams, should be congratulated for their endeavour and commitment throughout this busy period.

On the parks front, interest is growing on the recent formation of the Parks Management Forum with over 1400 subscribers now registered on their books. The Parks Management Forum is now seeking funding from sponsors, grants and membership subscriptions to help sustain the future of this organisation.

Launched during the first lockdown, the crisis has turned the spotlight on the public parks especially when the government decreed that they must stay open; at a stroke endorsing the Forum’s belief that parks are an essential service. People have flocked to them in record numbers and staff have worked tirelessly through the crisis to keep parks clean and safe and beautiful. 

The Forum represents an unrivalled reservoir of understanding, expertise and dedication. Running parks is an expert job and needs a voice to be heard by politicians as they formulate policies and make financial decisions which have huge repercussions for the viability of public open space. For too long parks, as a discretionary service, have been a poor relation of other public services, down the pecking order as just a ‘nice-to-have’. The Covid-19 crisis has shown that is not where they belong. With good support the forum can definitely become the voice of parks professionals.

It will also be interesting to see how our other industry related organisations such as Green Flag, Fields In Trust, Perennial, GMA, BIGGA, BASIS, Lantra and others have coped during this pandemic. Hopefully all will be able to come through this stressful period relatively unscathed.

Many of our national sports governing bodies have had a difficult year with the loss of many major sporting events and international fixtures during the lockdowns. This has resulted in a considerable loss of important income revenue for all of these organisations. 

Finally, I would like to mention the role of our excellent network of servicing dealers, who have also gone beyond the call of duty to support and service the needs of the industry during this pandemic.

The choice and range of machinery is now quite frankly staggering. We have so much choice and it does not come cheap. So therefore it is important to look after it and keep it serviced and in good order. Hence the importance of building up a good relationship with your local machinery dealer.

Without our fleets of machinery and equipment we would struggle to do our job of maintaining our diverse range of playing surfaces, parks and public open spaces.