Landscape & A m en it y
February 2026 Special Feature Play & Activity
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GMA’s #GroundsWeek returns for 2026 and continues to grow The GMA has announced the return of the annual awareness campaign, #GroundsWeek, taking place from 23-29 March 2026. Following a hugely successful campaign in 2025, which reached more than 20 million people worldwide, including audiences in Australia, #GroundsWeek is once again set to shine a spotlight on the professionals and volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the UK’s playing surfaces and green spaces thriving. Last year’s campaign received widespread support from major sporting organisations including England Football, The All-England Lawn Tennis Club, Lord’s Cricket Ground, Wembley Stadium and England Rugby, helping to amplify the vital role of grounds staff across all sports and community environments.
encourage a deeper appreciation for the work involved. The GMA is encouraging everyone connected to the industry - clubs, organisations, professional grounds teams, volunteers and anyone working in grounds care - to take part throughout the week. To make it easier than ever to get involved the GMA has launched a dedicated #GroundsWeek Engagement Pack, offering a suite of downloadable resources to make involvement simple and
accessible. The pack includes social media graphics, editable templates and tools to help individuals and organisations celebrate. “Grounds teams are essential but too often unnoticed,” said Geoff Webb, CEO of the Grounds Management Association. “#GroundsWeek is our opportunity to change that narrative and celebrate the people who make sport and outdoor spaces possible. “The incredible reach of last year’s campaign showed the
strength of our community when we stand together. In 2026, we’re determined to build on that momentum and shine an even brighter light on the people whose work benefits millions every single day.” #GroundsWeek is proudly backed by GMA Platinum Corporate Supporters Kubota (UK), Howardson Group, ICL Group, MJ Abbott, Premier Pitches, GKB Machines, ISEKI UK & Ireland and Cramer, alongside GMA Gold Corporate Supporters Rada UK,
Aquatrols Europe, Redexim, RT Machinery, SGL and Husqvarna UK. The GMA Enquiry 1 Prior to #Groundsweek, the brandnew GMA Conference 2026 and the GMA Industry Awards will take place at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham on Thursday 12th March. Designed for grounds professionals, the GMA Conference 2026 offers curated opportunities for advanced learning - not just technically, but in the soft skills that are increasingly essential in modern grounds management.
Hard & Soft Landscaping
A look at the urban environment Pages 5-8
Attendees can shape their own agenda on the day and explore solutions to workplace-specific challenges. The conference provides a focused environment to tackle complex industry issues whilst earning recognised CPD points. Later that evening, the GMA’s annual celebration of outstanding grounds people and organisations will take place. The awards highlight the people and achievements driving standards across grounds management, and finalists have recently been confirmed.
#GroundsWeek is a nationwide celebration of the expertise that go in to creating and maintaining high-quality playing surfaces. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of the grounds management industry and
Hedge & Verge Mowers
Technology driving new products Pages 10-14
Burnham & Berrow and Royal Aberdeen claim BIGGA Awards The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has revealed the winners of the BIGGA Awards 2026 on the opening night of BTME, recognising outstanding achievement, innovation and commitment across the greenkeeping profession. The prize for Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year with Bernhard & Company was awarded to Burnham & Berrow, while the Greenkeeping Project of the Year award with Price
Turfcare went to Royal Aberdeen on a memorable evening celebrating excellence across the profession.
Burnham & Berrow’s award recognised the team’s exceptional response to an unprecedented challenge ahead of Final Open Qualifying. With just eight weeks to act, the team delivered innovative solutions after deliberate chemical vandalism damaged multiple greens. The evening also saw BIGGA present its Outstanding
Contribution award with Kress to John Millen in recognition of a career that has left a lasting impact on the association and the wider greenkeeping profession.
The BIGGA Awards were established to recognise the exceptionally high standards, professionalism and dedication demonstrated by greenkeepers throughout the year.
Machinery A round up of the latest models Pages 17-18
BIGGA Enquiry 2
Engineered for match day perfection. The Kress Master Series Mega 600 is built for professional grounds care, delivering consistent, high-quality results across large and demanding environments. Featuring a 620 mm dual-deck cutting system, speeds up to 2 m/s, and coverage of up to 22,000 m² in 12 hours, it combines RTKn centimetre-level accuracy with V-SLAM sensor fusion to stay precisely on path even in signal-challenged areas. Speak to your local grounds maintenance machinery dealer today or learn more at kress.com
READER ENQUIRY 3
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