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GaNTIP update
A year of great progress
The Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme (GaNTIP) has seen significant success, progression and innovation during the past year
GANTIP REGIONAL PITCH ADVISORS
have, over the past year, assessed 4,508 football pitches and, of those that received revisits, 90% of clubs had followed GaNTIP recommendations and 84% of pitches had improved – leading to a 42% reduction in match cancellations and an 18% rise in match capacity. Also, 91% of the volunteers involved had engaged with learning (and GMA membership increased by 40% in this category).
The programme also delivered 26 awareness evenings, produced 135 case studies and completed more than 500 grass pitch assessment report maintenance plans. Key areas and developments within cricket have been: • Quick response from the GaNTIP team in providing emergency support to flooded clubs. • Gathered and delivered key input for the new Junior Format (cricket pitch size/length). • Documentation delivered and
GaNTIP has continued to improve grassroots pitches in the last year
used in the cricket pitch advisor pilot to create sustained support to grassroots clubs. • Carried out analyses of cricket grounds associations to enable improvements in local cricket board support strands. • GaNTIP has been a key resource for regional facilities planning managers on grounds maintenance and projects.
Both cricket and football now have a support network of a combined 108 support pitch advisors.
When Covid-19 hit, GaNTIP established in March a rapid response and approach which included the implementation of a ‘back to play’ strategy to assist volunteers. This included: • Local Authorities Risk Register – GaNTIP gathered information on the status of local authorities and how the maintenance of their sports pitches has suffered due to staff redeployment. This information helped the national governing bodies of sport (NGBs) and Sport England to strategise their approach to support. • Webinars – focusing on updating,
Jason Booth GMA director of technical and learning
upskilling and directing volunteers to information and guidance. • Guidance documents – Created free advice, instruction and knowledge working with NGBs to ensure that volunteers receive the latest information dependent on
Government guidance. • Online training courses –
Introduced affordable online, sport-relevant Level 1 training, with Levels 2 and 3 being made available from Q4 2020.
Sustainability has always been the key word for the programme and has been central to all strategies, advice, support and guidance. In addition, the Football Foundation’s Hive community – developed with the GMA – now has over 2,000 members (within just a year) and it has proved a great resource.
Also, the recently-established Sport England microsite will become (from September/ October) an integral part of the GMA offering and will include detailed information and videos to provide knowledge and guidance for volunteers in rugby league and union, cricket and football.
The GMA’s Pitch Grading Framework – available later this year – will provide the necessary support required via a skills and knowledge matrix to provide each sport with a framework to upskill volunteers, improve playing surface quality and ultimately increase participation. ■
