Club wins national award for its environmental work
LESS than a year ago, Market Harborough GC offically launched an environment group. Now they have won a national award for their work.
A few days ago, three representatives of the club – Bob Roberts, chairman of the environment steering committee, Jim Jacobs, a member, and head greenkeeper Chris Weir were presented with the Home Nations Golf Environmental Award at the Bigga – British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association Conference – at Harrogate. Club chairman Steve Winder said: “We were assessed last autumn by STRI Ecology Consultants and selected as a finalist.
“We are absolutely delighted to be honoured in this way, especially so soon after taking this step forward.
“We launched this initiative, but with no budget to pursue our aims, so it has been quite hard work.
“Obviously, we are dependent on all the volunteer help we can get from club members, as well as help from wildlife organisations of many different kinds.
“But we are working extremely hard on what we believe is a very crucial, current issue.
“We have already started to exchange views locally and much further afield – including, for example, being in contact with a golf club in New Zealand, and have had a meeting already with one in Coventry.
“Our plan is to exchange ideas, to see how we can move forward, whether it is with ideas on how to meet costs, or on topics to address.
“It is a totally new area to us, but we are extremely enthusiastic about trying not only to promote wildlife and nature throughout the course, but also to manage the whole environment, including water and energy, in a better manner to help to achieve results that will benefit present members and years into the future.
“Our steering committee members have done a fantastic job so far and it is unbelieveable to have achieved national recognition so early on.
“In the next few weeks, more nestboxes will go up around the course and we will have more visits from wildlife and conservation organisations, some of which may be able to help us to achieve more.
“It is a process of finding out more where and what help is available and how perhaps we can benefit.
“We can give interested clubs an opportunity to work with us, or to see what we are doing here. The fact that we have won this national award can only help to publicise our environmental policy and to attract ideas of all kinds along the way.”