Doing it for the girls
Earlier this month, Arsenal collaborated with the WSL, Women in Football and the Grounds Management Association to select a team of thirteen female grounds professionals to prepare the pitch for the North London Derby at the Emirates.
The coverage and support for the women was remarkable and it showcased the incredible work and equality that the industry now offers. In addition, on International Women’s Day, ITV This Morning’s show, highlighted Arsenal’s Tara Sandford and apprentice Bobbie Murphy on their amazing work at the club - which again promotes our industry and career opportunities to the wider world and the next generation of sports turf professionals... let’s hope this momentum continues!
March also saw the return of Scots Turf for its second year at Hamilton Park Racecourse. On a beautifully sunny day, the gates opened to showcase over 60 companies (up from 12 exhibitors in its inaugural year), with over 900 registered attendees. The aim of the show is to support the Scottish turf community and make it accessible to a wide range of professionals - who may not otherwise have the chance to attend a local industry event and I have no doubt it will become a firm fixture in the turfcare calendar.
In this issue, we cover the important topic of working conditions and how many clubs are in desperate need of investment in this area. You would think that these days a warm place to eat lunch, to dry off when the weather is bad or to do some paperwork wouldn’t be too much to ask – but as BIGGA and the GMA highlight, more needs to be done to improve health and safety and working areas - view the article from page 8.
As sustainability becomes ever more prevalent, we also have articles covering water management and water harvesting (page 16), biodiversity (page 26) and the importance of sustainability for the future of sports turf (page 34).
I know many of you have struggled with renovations over the past few weeks, due to inclement rainfall making conditions near impossible, but hopefully this will soon change and spring is just around the corner!
Fingers crossed anyway!
Kerry
t: 07973 394037
e: kerry.haywood@pitchcare.com