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.

New for 2018, SALTEX say visitors can expect to see and experience the very latest groundscare ingenuity in a new area on the show floor which is purely dedicated to innovation and new concepts in grounds management.

According to the SALTEX 2017 visitor survey, 97 per cent claimed that their main reason for attending the exhibition was to see the latest innovations. Taking this feedback on-board, SALTEX event organisers have decided to host, for the first time, a dedicated Innovation Hub.

Visitors can expect to watch interviews with industry experts and those at the forefront of new groundscare innovations and listen to research and trial work findings.

Furthermore, say the organisers, a number of key speakers will take to the stage to discuss and explore current groundscare trends such as cordless/environmentally friendly equipment, robotics, GPS control machinery, pesticide alternatives, pitch lighting (including watering systems and oxygen) and pitch monitoring systems.

In this new feature, delegates will be able to engage in conversation regarding key topics or seek advice while using the opportunity to network with industry business leaders and exporters.

The new Innovation Hub will play host to the second ever Innovation Awards - which last year was jointly won by Rigby Taylor's Intelligent One autonomous robotic line marker

The Innovation Hub will also play host to the SALTEX 2018 Innovation Award ceremony - entries for which are now open.

Making its debut at last year’s show, the Innovation Award attracted a number of high-quality entries from across the globe spanning a wide variety of products, services and equipment.

The independent panel of judges, who based their decisions on a number of factors including what the entry offers the industry and how it makes life easier for the person using it, were unanimous in selecting four stand-out entries. In a tie for first place, Rigby Taylor’s Intelligent One autonomous robotic line marker and Fleet Line Markers’ MAQA line marking machine were announced as joint winners of the first ever award.

Second place went to Oregon’s Gator Speedload and third place went to the Etesia Hydro 80 MKHP4 E-Connect.

Due to the popularity of last year’s Innovation Award, organisers belive even more entries will be attracted this year - with all being revealed in the lead-up to the show.

Additionally, by referring to the show guide, visitors will be able to follow an Innovation Trail enabling them to see every single entry on the show floor.

SALTEX takes place at the NEC, Birmingham on October 31 and November 1.

The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), Toro and Reesink Turfcare have revealed the 12 finalists who will contest this year’s Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards.

The 30th hosting of the finals of the prestigious awards will once again take place at BIGGA House, following a nationwide search for the country’s leading student greenkeepers.

2017 awards winners Angus Roberts and Nick Machin

Thirty-seven candidates took part in the interview process, with 12 talented candidates making it through to the grand final, to be held at BIGGA House on 17 and 18 September.

Up for grabs will be the 30th Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year award and the 3rd Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year award.

Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists:

1. Daniel Ashelby, Wilmslow Golf Club
2. Tim Brown, Hockley Golf Club
3. William Curran, Hever Castle Golf Club
4. Dan Dooley, Mount Murray Golf Club
5. John Scurfield, Morpeth Golf Club
6. Richard Warlow, Celtic Manor Resort

Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists:

1. Aaron Hurdwell, Harleyford Golf Club
2. Adam Jackson, Ferndown Golf Club
3. Harry Misselbrook, Harewood Downs Golf Club
4. Danny Patten, Lee Park Golf Club
5. Liam Pigden, Burnham & Berrow Golf Club
6. Reece Tomalin, Trentham Golf Club

Each year the awards enable BIGGA, Toro and Reesink Turfcare to celebrate those talented young greenkeepers who are dedicating themselves to a career within the industry.

The Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year winner will receive an eight-week all expenses paid scholarship in America, including a six-week residential turf management study course at the University of Massachusetts, a trip to the Golf Industry Show in San Diego and a visit to Toro’s facilities.

The Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year winner will receive a work experience placement at the exclusive Vidauban Golf Club in southern France. They will also receive a trip to Continue to Learn at BTME and enjoy a five-night package that includes hotel, four days of education, travel and £125 expenses, plus a Toro training voucher.

Stuart Green, head of member learning at BIGGA said, “I really enjoy the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year selection process as it allows me to travel the country and meet some of BIGGA’s most ambitious and talented student greenkeepers. Each year I’m astounded by the depth of knowledge and enthusiasm for the industry shown by our candidates and it’s heartening to see that the future of the industry is in such safe hands.

“Throughout its 30 years, the Toro Student Greenkeeper awards have grown to the extent that they are now acknowledged as the industry’s most prestigious awards event, and countless candidates have gone on to forge incredible careers within the turf management industry.

“My thanks go to Toro and Reesink Turfcare for their continued support, and thank you to everyone who took part this year.”

David Cole, Reesink Turfcare managing director and award sponsor: “As we approach our 30th award presentation, the popularity and appeal of the competition endures and continues to exceed expectation. Entries were up this year with over double the amount from employer nominations. This shows the commitment to career learning from golf employers, course managers and head greenkeepers, as well as demonstrating their faith in the abilities of their students.

“The introduction of the ‘Young’ category, now in its third year, has helped reinvigorate the original intentions of this pioneering programme, which were to attract young people to a career in greenkeeping and support their education in the sector. This has been done by supporting learning and providing career-developing experiences as prizes to open up their global ‘world of golf’ perspective and opportunities for their future. This is the start of an exciting journey for our 2018 nominees.”

Lantra has become the End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) for the new Level 2 Sports Turf Operative Apprenticeship Standard developed by the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) and a large employer group.

There are already more than 50 apprentices undertaking a learning journey to achieve this high-quality standard.

Commenting, IOG learning programme architect Chris Gray, said, "After sustained work by the IOG which has included advocating for a solution as well as making representation to government and key stakeholders, the initiative of Lantra becoming the government-approved EPAO for the standard is welcomed.

“The development provides further reassurance to the industry that we are on a sound footing to raising standards within our industry and further promoting this as a sustainable career for many."

IOG chief executive Geoff Webb, added, “This announcement complements our work in developing a national natural turf Pitch Grading Framework, which charts how grounds personnel can progress from volunteer to professional level - by linking the standards of surfaces to the necessary skills needed to ensure surfaces reach their optimum levels through a blended learning approach to education and training.”

Lantra marketing development manager, Jo-Anne Bryan, said, “Lantra is committed to supporting the development of skills in the land-based sector. Building for the future by developing the next generation of industry specialists is a fundamental business driver. We are therefore delighted to have been approved as an EPAO for the new standard and look forward to continuing to work closely with the IOG in helping to meet the industry’s needs.”

A ‘historic and inspirational cathedral setting’ provides the backdrop for studies to the pupils at The King’s School, Gloucester.

In charge of maintaining the 3 hectares of gardens and sports grounds across multiple sites is head groundsman Richard Bowman. When he re-joined the school for his second stint in 2011, having originally started as an apprentice in 1999, he made the switch to seed from DLFs’ Johnsons Sports Seed and Masterline ranges which looks to be a decision set to stay.

Richard Bowman

“Sport is an important part of life for pupils at King’s and we’re fortunate to have two and a half hectares of sports fields and facilities across the school’s sites,” explains Richard who is supported by a team of five. “I’ve worked on our seed programme with Ian Barnett, now of DLF, for a number of years and have valued his input and advice. He suggested we try Johnsons J Premier Wicket for our cricket ground, with which we achieved great success. This opened our eyes to what other mixtures were out there.”

Ian recommended they trial PM79 from Masterline on one of the schools three cricket outfields. “We gave it a try following the launch of DLF’s 4Turf Tetraploid Perennial Ryegrass, and specifically the PM79 mix because of the darker sward colour it delivers meaning less reliance on chemical inputs. It’s also known for its hard-wearing qualities which is important for our outfields, which also play host to rugby.”

Pleased with the results of the trial, Masterline’s PM79 is now used across all of the cricket outfields, with wicket mixture PM36 employed on the junior and second squares.

“Our junior and second team facilites are in use five or six days a week, for training and matches at weekends, and then convert to rubgy on a similar play schedule. Because of the high-use on these surfaces, they require more frequent overseeding to keep these looking and playing well so budget-wise, the Masterline seed becomes a better option here. Meanwhile J Premier Wicket is delivering the top-quality surfaces we require on the first team square.”

Final word from Richard, “A lot of our decisions come down to a combination of budget and performance - if something works then we’ll stick with it, and this is one of those cases.”

A total of 54 young service technicians are being trained in this year’s John Deere Ag Tech, Parts Tech and Turf Tech advanced apprenticeship programmes, run in partnership with national training provider ProVQ – a increase of just over 60 per cent on the previous year’s intake.

John Deere has also been listed for the second consecutive time in 2018 as one of the best 100 employers for school leavers in the UK, the only agricultural and turf machinery company to be so recognised. The AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk’s Top 100 Employers for School & College Leavers rankings are based entirely on the opinions of apprentices and school leaver trainees from hundreds of UK organisations.

Groups of the latest Ag, Parts and Turf Tech trainees on John Deere’s apprenticeship programmes

John Deere’s and ProVQ’s successive annual awards were made in recognition of their programmes’ quality and the opportunities they present to young people working productively in the agricultural and turf sectors.

“We have beaten some very strong competition from other household names, coming first for an engineering and manufacturing company and third overall in the Best Intermediate Apprenticeship Programme category in 2017,” said ProVQ managing director Julian Lloyd.

“We’ve also been recognised in the Advanced Apprenticeships and Engineering categories this year. To be recognised as one of the country’s top 100 employers for school leavers, as judged by the apprentices themselves, makes us all very proud of our achievements.”

John Deere’s three-year Ag Tech and Turf Tech and two-year Parts Tech apprenticeships lead to IMI Level 2 & 3 Diplomas in Landbased Engineering and Vehicle Parts Competence, and registration at LTA Intermediate level in the industry’s Landbased Training Accreditation scheme. In subsequent years qualified technicians undergo further education and adult training within the John Deere University programme, on a career path that can ultimately lead to the highest possible LTA Master Technician accreditation.

Now in its 26th year, Ag Tech was the first such scheme to be introduced in the UK and won a National Training Award at the end of 1997, the only one ever made to an agricultural machinery apprenticeship programme. Since the first programme started in 1992, well over 700 apprentices have graduated through the three main schemes and are now working in the company’s nationwide dealer network.

The Glasgow Academy has become the first independent school in Scotland to purchase their own 2018 model Koro FIELDTOPMAKER (Koro FTM) from Campey Turf Care Systems.

The Koro FTM at Glasgow Academy

The demands of maintaining pitches for a school that offers football, rugby, hockey, cricket and athletics on eight pitches across four locations as well as a separate sand and water based astro pitches has its own unique issues when it comes to renovations with a short 10-week window at the end of the school year.

For head groundsman, Robert Cheape, there is very little crossover time during terms with sports seasons often overlapping. His team of five also have the main school and prep school grounds to maintain and the decision to bring in a new Koro FTM was to provide flexibility and choice to renovations.

“We have multiple sports with very little downtime between them,” he said. “As one season finishes the next season starts and that was one of the reasons behind getting our own Koro, because we wanted the flexibility to manage the pitches in a better way.

“In our situation being able to vary to what degree we use the Koro FTM on the pitches is massive and directly tackles the issue of short periods of downtime.

“We’ve got the 5mm blades on it and the material that’s been coming out with it has been unbelievable and the organic matter it’s been ripping up is very impressive.

“I was very impressed with it then but even more so now with the new model because of the flexibility when it comes to the different blade sizes because it gives you the option to use what you need.

“I’d love to Koro FTM off the pitches completely but because of the overlap of the various sports we just don’t get the time, it would mean taking some time off of cricket, so it would be them who would suffer, and although they are flexible there’s only so much room to manoeuvre.”

Robert continued, "We try to keep all of our work in-house but occasionally for the bigger jobs like primary drainage we use other contractors but generally, we do it all ourselves with machines like the ShockWave 220.

“We got a good demonstration of the Koro FTM from Richard Heywood from Campeys when he delivered the machine, but I think by using it more we’ll build the familiarity with it and be able to use it to greater effect on the site.”.

Wrotham Heath Golf Club, situated in the rolling Kent countryside near Sevenoaks, has taken delivery of a Ventrac 4500 compact tractor with two alternative mowing decks and a stump grinder attachment, from local dealer MAB Groundcare.

Head greenkeeper, Bryn Preece, using the ToughCut deck

Established in 1906, Wrowtham Heath is a members club and features an 18-hole golf course situated on a sandstone ridge. A recently installed irrigation system on the tees, fairways and greens together with a new bore hole and holding tank ensures the best playing conditions, even in the driest weather.

Bryn Preece is the head greenkeeper and has been at the club for the past six years. He heads a team of five greenkeepers and works closely with former Captain and current Greens Chairman, Stan Topliss.

“This is one of the best pieces of equipment that I have ever purchased,” Bryn said. “Our Toro Sidewinder was getting a bit long in the tooth and I was looking for a replacement tees and bunker surrounds mower. I read an article in a trade magazine where Peter Pattenden at Carden Park was extolling the merits of his recently purchased Ventrac. Peter is guy I wholeheartedly respect, so I contacted the UK distributor, Price Turfcare and arranged a demo here for the team and the Greens Chairman. We selected the toughest area we could find, some banks covered in bracken on the 3rd fairway. and it dealt with it with ease. In fact, it was the best machinery demonstration I have ever seen.

“We are a heathland course and over the years bracken and unwanted trees have encroached on the margins. We have embarked on a five-year planned process of returning it to a more traditional state and in just the first couple of weeks since delivery the Ventrac has proved its worth. The ToughCut deck is great at removing the bracken and allowing the underlying heather to thrive. It can go anywhere on the course and tackles any slopes with ease.

"We do everything in-house and the versatility is amazing.”

Kubota UK has joined forces with PACCAR Scout Camp, a charity funded organisation dedicated to helping young people achieve their physical, intellectual and social potential.

PACCAR Scout Camp, located in Buckinghamshire, provides a fun and exciting camping experience for youth organisations, including Scouts, Guides and school groups. Visitors have the opportunity to experience an assortment of activities, from abseiling and archery, to climbing, high ropes and bushcraft.

Kubota's RTV-X900 utility vehicle in use at the PACCAR Scout Camp

The Japanese manufacturer is working in partnership with PACCAR Scout Camp as part of its on-going initiative to support charities that are focused not only on improving the prosperous life of humans, but also protecting the environment.

Karen Tipping, Kubota UK’s Marketing Manager, said, “We are delighted to support the PACCAR Scout Camp. The work and commitment of its 120 volunteers to give children of all ages the opportunities to experience the great outdoors is fantastic.

“For many of the camp’s 50,000 visitors a year, it can be the first time they will have ever experienced the outdoors like they can at PACCAR Scout Camp. It’s an adventurous experience that’s not only fun and entertaining, but it can help build self esteem, confidence and team building skills.

“These values are important to Kubota and we are extremely proud of our manufacturing excellence and our commitment to the environment. Being partnered with PACCAR scout group is excellent and we are so pleased that we can aid them with the brilliant work they do’’

To help the camp’s volunteers get around the 67-acre site, Kubota has donated its RTV-X900 utility vehicle.

Cliffe Brooke, Operations Manager at PACCAR Scout Camp, commented, “On behalf of everyone at PACCAR, we would like to thank Kubota and our local dealer George Browns for their support. We are a charity organisation, and like all charities, we need funding to be able to survive. With Kubota donating us the RTV-X900, it means we can focus our funds on what’s most important – continually improving our site and facilities to make the experience our visitors have when they come here, even better.

“We are really looking forward to putting the RTV-X900 through its paces now and seeing what it can do. It will be an integral piece of machinery that will be used every single day so we are delighted to receive Kubota’s support.”