M U LT I SPORTS
BEST PRACTICE
By Greg Rhodes Freelance writer
FIELDS OF FULFILMENT A new blueprint for sport and leisure is rejuvenating sport in Bath, thanks to a team that is creating acres of opportunity by providing top-class playing surfaces for a myriad of activities
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omething exceptional is stirring in Bath. Sport and recreation is being reenergised as a group of once disparate public spaces come under the umbrella of a charity – Bath Recreation – dedicated to enhancing the scope of provision across the city, creating opportunities to host a wealth of sports and events, as well as boost access to green spaces.
The team fought off IOG award finalists Manchester City FC and London Stadium to lift the National Governing Bodies’ Professional Multi-Sports Ground/Facility Team of the Year accolade last year. Since then, the charity has improved provision even further. Its story is a tale of team efficiency, stakeholder co-ordination and an open-door policy with the public. Grounds manager Dave Cobb is on familiar territory with the charity – formed
in 2013 – overseeing three sites, two acquired since he and his team won the IOG award. Honing his skills as an apprentice in the sports grounds department of Bath & North East Somerset Council and acquiring an NVQ Level 3 from Cannington College, 36-year-old Dave was a regular visitor to the historic Recreation Ground (‘the Rec’). The council was contracted to manage the football pitches and cricket square by owners Bath Recreation Trust, so when the trust renamed itself Bath Recreation and took the groundscare function back in-house, Dave moved across to work for them. His role requires multi-level management skills; dealing with stakeholders, casual users, residents, bookings, events management teams, council employees, councillors and Bath Rugby directors and staff. “My experience working on a multiplicity of sports put me in good stead for this post. I have good mentors to thank for helping me to develop my skills at the council.”
“Plenty of contact [with stakeholders] before and after an event is vital” 20 THE GROUNDSMAN August 2019