Educational Establishments
Parks and Countryside section. This was my first interaction into a grounds position and I was given my own mowing route to manage. The council were very good at organising training and, pretty soon, I had many tickets, but there was still something amiss. With the borough covering a very large area, we would need to get the grass cutting duties completed as soon as we could, no time for striping up or straightening lines etc. and I strived for more.
“
Having a boss who knows so much and is so well known in the industry is a big boost too, and he is always about to ask him questions
A friend of mine said she had heard, through the grapevine, that a position had come up at Charterhouse School on the grounds team and I leapt at the chance. I immediately got in contact with the school and arranged an interview and, well, the rest is history. I love it.
Taking pride in making the grounds look immaculate, learning new skills, renovation work, knowledge of what goes on under the soil, having a boss [Dave Roberts] who knows so much and is so well known in the industry is a big boost too, as he is always about to ask him questions, and he allows us the chance to visit other sites to further our knowledge.
What industry qualifications have you achieved?
daunting at first, as I had just turned thirty and the prospect of going back into learning was a little scary, but it turned out to be one of the best changes I have evermade. I went to Merrist Wood College near Guildford and studied my Certificate in Horticulture. This was quite a broad course and covered things like plant management, machinery and garden design, to name a few. The college was brilliant and I found the practical learning was so much more beneficial to me than being sat in a classroom, like back at school.
I left college with my certificate and, about eight months later, got an interview at my local council (Guildford Borough) where I became a full time member of staff in the
Apart from my Certificate of Horticulture, I don’t have any other qualifications in the Industry, yet. Due to the nature of the job, I have plenty of ‘on the job’ experience in a wide range of machines and we are able to arrange training, if it’s needed. I am hoping to do a course that will further my understanding of fine turf, what happens under the ground etc. We just need to find the right course for the purpose.
Do you specialise in any one area, e.g. cricket, rugby etc?
Through working at Charterhouse, where there is a wide range of sporting pitches, I have been able to work on all forms of different areas, from the first initial pitch markings of football, rugby and hockey through to preparing a strip for cricket. I
have also carried out work on our artificial pitches, so the job is pretty varied. Another part of my job is looking after the cross country course and, along with the team, we have been able to cut out new paths to make the course pretty challenging for the boys when they have various runs through the year; the big one being Pontifex where pretty much the whole school is involved.
The Sports Centre also has a few cross country events throughout the year, one of which is a Trail Run where we have a 5, 10 and 15km route. They are also doing a run for Sport Relief and we also have the yearly Godalming Run which goes through part of the town and school, so I have to liaise and be on hand for this.
What is your favourite part of the job? I really enjoy working on our first team football pitch ‘Big Ground’, making good after a game and renovations and also helping choose which new pattern to mow. Another job I enjoy is the mowing of the school lawns. These are quite high profile lawns within the school and I find it a privilege to be given the task of mowing them.
Is there anything you do not look forward to doing?
Not so much ‘don’t look forward to doing’, but I do find leaf collecting in the autumn a little tedious, even with all the leaf blowers we have and a Trilo to collect them; it just seems to go on forever.
Are you respected by your male colleagues/do you feel part of the team? I think I have been very lucky to be able to work with the grounds team at Charterhouse.
From the word go, they made me feel very welcome, which was a big thing for me as it was very daunting going into a position knowing you are the only female. I feel I have gained their respect as I have become more proficient in my role and very much feel part of the team.
PC APRIL/MAY 2014 I 67
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