Funding & Support Links

External Funding and Support Links for Turf Professionals, contains links to online training and links to funding and support. There is also a list of all known UK groundsman associations. We are always updating this page, so please do come back.

Support from Governing Bodies

Football Foundation- Hive Platform to connect, ask questions in this winter sports community- https://footballfoundation.hivelearning.com/login

Cricket

ECB Facilities – https://www.ecb.co.uk/play/club-support/facility-management

Book & Reading Recommendations

Cricket

This book is old but still a good read, with information on the construction and maintenance of cricket tables, so l highly recommend it as a reading resource.

– https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=crciket+r.d.c+evans&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

TS4 Fine Turf Booklet- https://platform-static-files.s3.amazonaws.com/ecb/document/2016/08/29/54dc77cb-0cb0-46ad-a4fe-372259bec20d/ECB_guidelines_for_construction_and_maintenance_of_pitches_and_outfields.pdf

ECB Rolling trials-https://www.durhamcricket.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/guidelines-for-rolling-in-cricket-10409.pdf

ECB Cricket pitch aeration research-http://www.cag.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Aeration-Guidelines1.pdf

Winter Sport

Reading recommendations- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winter-Games-Pitches-Construction-Maintenance/dp/1873431031

Bowls

Reading recommendations- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bowling-Greens-History-Construction-Maintenance/dp/1873431015

Connecting

Cricket Groundsman facebook community group-mentoring, community chat, link up to local turfies https://www.facebook.com/groups/717957209036259/

Groundsperson UK- facebook group run by turfcareblog.com –https://www.facebook.com/groups/1969058943415322/

Funding Support and Facilities

Pitch Power Football Foundation Funding – https://footballfoundation.org.uk/grant/grass-pitch-maintenance-fund

Football Foundation- Storage containers funding – https://footballfoundation.org.uk/grant/storage-containers

Football Foundation- 3G maintenance & equipment funding – https://footballfoundation.org.uk/grant/3g-maintenance

ECB Grounds/Club Funding – https://www.ecb.co.uk/play/club-support/club-funding/grass-pitch-improvement-fund

Sport England Small Grants Fund – https://www.sportengland.org/funds-and-campaigns/our-funds/queens-platinum-jubilee-activity-fund

Perennial- Legal , mental health and career support – https://perennial.org.uk/ways-we-help/your-life/legal-advice/

Facilities

ECB Non turf system approved supplier – https://resources.ecb.co.uk/ecb/document/2023/06/08/6a925845-4129-4a75-b88a-03fc2f20ab7d/ECB-Approved-NTP-Systems-Suppliers-24-02-23.pdf

Drought, flooding and facilities guidance ECB – https://www.ecb.co.uk/play/club-support/facility-management

Theft Prevention (British Police) https://www.btp.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rc/rural-crime/heavy-machinery-theft-prevention/

Risk Assessment Templates – https://internationalgreenkeepers.com/templates/

Associations

The Grounds Management Association

“To promote quality surfaces and quality services and establish the GMA as ‘the’ leading professional organisation for grounds management, recognised by the National Governing Bodies of Sport.

https://www.thegma.org.uk/ – Main GMA Page

https://www.thegma.org.uk/learning/training – Link to online training or qualifications and health and safety

Health and Safety of volunteers- https://resources.thegma.org.uk/does-health-safety-apply-me

Guidance on employment of specialist contractors, buying of materials https://resources.thegma.org.uk/further-modules-help-advice-and-training

….

BIGGA represent the more finer turf, such as greenkeepers- https://www.bigga.org.uk/

Additional Learning-eBooks

Brough to you by turfcareblog.com

Take a look at our eBook shop – https://turfcareblog.com/weather-blogs/

Job Listing Sites

GMA job listing page, updated weekly- https://jobs.thegma.org.uk/jobs

International Greenkeepers for Hire website, despite the name advertises roles for all types of turfies- https://turfmarket.co.uk/all-ads/listing-category/careers/

Turf Matter- Another good site for job listings- https://turfmatters.co.uk/turf-recruit/