News In Brief... Serco sale postponed
Services giant Serco’s plans to offload its leisure arm as part of CEO Rupert Soames’ strategy overhaul may be delayed by “up to a year”.
Serco Leisure - which manages around sixty locations in the UK, including Bisham Abbey, Lilleshall National Sports Centres and the National Water Sports Centre - had been expected to be sold this summer, with two UK buyers initially understood to have been in contention.
Continue to Learn
An integral part of BTME, Continue to Learn 2016 will deliver the largest ever programme offering visitors the widest choice of educational events.
There will be in excess of 240 hours of education available to visitors, with over 40 hours that are free of charge to attend. Encompassing events for Course Managers, Deputies, First Assistants and Greenkeepers; Golf Club Managers; Directors of Golf; Groundsmen; Journalists and PR representatives, there is an education event for everyone working within the sports turf industry.
Continue to Learn at BTME 2016 will take place at Harrogate International Centre and The Crown Hotel, Harrogate, North Yorkshire from Sunday 17 to Thursday 21 January 2016.
Kate’s charity trek
As we were going to press, turf disease expert Dr Kate Entwistle was aiming to conquer the Pennine Way in aid of Brain Tumour Research.
Grandfather rights - the countdown has begun
NPTC qualification required to continue spraying
After 26 November 2015, those who previously relied on “grandfather rights” must hold a certificate of competence for pesticide application.
After that date, it will become an offence for anyone to purchase PPPs (Plant Protection Products) authorised for professional use without having checked that the those using the product are suitably qualified and have the relevant certificates.
You can attend a Level 2 Safe Use of Pesticide course relevant to the work and type of equipment you
use. You must take this route if you intend to work as a contractor or apply PPPs to land you or your employer do not own.
NPTC Qualification
This legally required qualification by the Control of Pesticide Regulations is for anyone applying pesticides on a commercial basis and is divided in to thirteen units.
Unit PA1 is the foundation unit covering legislation through the approved code of practice.
Units PA2 -13 are the practical
units, specific to type of applicator being used, such as knapsack sprayer, boom sprayer, seed treatment, etc.
Steve Thorne is a winner Rushmore’s deputy rides off with top Toro student prize
Steve Thorne, Deputy Course Manager at Rushmore Golf Club, has been crowned Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year 2015.
He wins the first prize of a Toro Scholarship. This all expenses paid, eight-week trip includes a residential turf management study course at the University of Massachusetts, USA early next year. There will also be visits to the Toro Company HQ and the Golf Industry Show in San Diego, California.
Two runners up - Sam Sweetzer, Assistant Greenkeeper at West Hill Golf Club and Susan Reeve, First Assistant Greenkeeper at Castle Royle Golf & Country Club - will be invited to attend the superb Continue to Learn programme at BTME 2016.
Beginning at Edale in the Peak District, the trail heads through the undulating Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland before finishing at Kirk Yetholm just inside the Scottish Borders; a distance of 267 miles
Kate's father Maurice passed away after suffering from a brain tumour, and she is looking to raise money for the charity which funds research into brain tumours to help improve survival rates across the UK.
To donate, simply visit
www.justgiving.com/Kate-Entwistle/. For more on the excellent work of Kate’s chosen charity, visit
www.braintumourresearch.org
4 I OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015
The other finalists - Stefan Carter, Assistant Greenkeeper at The Wentworth Club, Jon-Jo Pitts, Deputy Course Manager at Royston Golf Club and David Stewart, Greenkeeper at Walmley Golf Club - will be given BIGGA membership for one year following on from the expiry date of their current membership.
Winner Steve said; “It’s such an honour to win, I know I was up against some tough competition. It’s been a great experience from start to finish, and I feel I’ve also made some friends. All six of us have got on really well.”
“America is going to be amazing, I’m looking forward to the turf
Toro Student Greenkeeper finalists: Back row: Jon-Jo Pitts, Stefan Carter and David Stewart. Front row: Sam Sweetzer, Steve Thorne and Susan Reeve
management course, the GIS and seeing the scale of the Toro HQ.”
“I’d like to thank Rushmore Course Manager Jaime Acton, the General Manager Declan Healy and the whole team for their fantastic support. Also, thank you to Nick Lush, my tutor at Myerscough College, my wife Rachael for her constant encouragement, the sponsors Toro and everyone at BIGGA House for making me so welcome. BIGGA’s South West & South Wales Regional Administrator Tracey Walker was also instrumental in setting up the public speaking and presentation course at Hockley Golf Club I attended recently, which was a great confidence booster heading into the final."
BIGGA’s Head of Member
Learning, Stuart Green, was part of the initial panel that held the regional interviews to whittle down dozens of nominees to the final six.
Stuart commented; “It was a very tough decision coming up with the final six, let alone deciding who would win overall! Congratulations to Steve and all the finalists, it’s a terrific achievement just to reach this stage of the competition. Steve will have a superb experience in the States, which is a fabulous personal and professional development opportunity.”
“Everyone at BIGGA would also like to thank the sponsors Toro for their continuing support of the contest, which is now in its twenty-seventh year.”
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