EDUCATION | GMA UPDATE
Jason Booth GMA chief operating officer
NEW ONLINE TOOLKIT FOR VOLUNTEERS
issues relating to grounds management. The GMA says it is committed to providing the best possible tools across all levels so that grounds management tasks are consistently completed to a high standard, aligning with The Grounds Management Association (GMA) has announced the Grounds and Natural the new Grounds Management Toolkit website as an online Turf Improvement Programme strategy that educational resource aimed at volunteers maintaining football, is delivered in partnership cricket and rugby league and union pitches with the national governing bodies of T HE N EW GROU N D S M AN AGEM EN T Toolkit sport. And it is grateful for Sport England’s support website consolidates information from the Sport in enabling delivery of the Grounds Management England ‘Groundsmanship’ website and has Toolkit, giving the GMA the opportunity to make this reshaped its written content into short videos and resource free for all. easy-to-digest seasonal maintenance guides. Speaking about the new website, Tony Atherton, By relaunching the website, the GMA aims technical team lead of Sport England, said: “We’re to continue increasing the skills and capabilities really supportive of the GMA’s approach to upskilling of practising and future grounds volunteers. The grounds staff and volunteers, so handing over the resources also help the general public to engage Groundsmanship website was a natural progression further with common practices involved in grounds of the work we have achieved through this resource maintenance and to understand how to help get so far. I really hope the grounds community feels pitches ready for players across their community. that the Toolkit supports and complements their The Grounds Management Toolkit follows the hard work.” ■ launch of the GMA’s Level 1 and Level 2 online training courses, with modules that cover the basic grounds maintenance tasks required at grassroots level. With face-to-face classroom learning currently on hold due to restrictions, the GMA is developing its digital capabilities and touch points – such as The ‘Grounds Management Toolkit’, funded webinars – to keep its member community, and by Sport England, can be accessed via www.resources.thegma.org.uk the wider public, educated and informed on key
thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 7
