TOOLS , PLANT & EQUIPMENT
Forward-thinking school invests in future with new machinery fleet
Alistair Cotton ( left ), Head Groundsman at Lord Wandsworth College , and Ed Smales , Director at John Deere dealer Hunt Forest
Group , with the new fleet prestigious college
A with a history of producing elite sporting athletes has marked its 100th anniversary with a significant investment in its groundscare .
Lord Wandsworth College in Hampshire has completely renewed its machinery in order to maintain a huge area of sports pitches , running tracks and amenity grounds .
A GPS precision sprayer has been added to the fleet , and combustion engines have given way to electric wherever possible in line with the college ’ s sustainability ambitions .
Founded in 1912 , Lord Wandsworth left a generous bequest in his will to educate the children of agricultural workers and children who had lost one or both parents .
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We ’ ve been with John Deere for 15 years – they ’ re always very competitive on price and the reliability of the machines is as good as any .
“ The outdoors is still at the heart of the school , although the emphasis on farming has been replaced by sport , with notable former pupils including rugby stars such as world cup winner Jonny Wilkinson and British & Irish Lion Ugo Monye ,” Alistair Cotton , Grounds and Gardens Manager , says .
Other notable alumni include Squadron leader George Johnson – the last remaining member of the 1943 Dambusters raid – HelloFresh founder Patrick Drake , and Claudia Gwinnutt , who created the beauty brand Circla .
Out of the total 1,200 acres on the site , the team is responsible for 150 acres which includes 14 winter pitches ranging from full size rugby and football to touch rugby and seven-aside football pitches .
“ There is also a full-size and half-size astroturf pitch and in the summer there are six grass cricket squares , two artificial cricket grounds and a grass 400m running track ,” says Alistair .
“ It would be enough to keep 13 people busy – at the moment , we only have a team of five .”
With staff recruitment an issue , a common problem at present in the industry , ensuring that the kit is up to speed and efficient is particularly important .
The grounds team upgraded its fleet of John Deere kit this year , to better service the sports fields , some of which have
50 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | November 2022