It’s safe to say that competition was back in full swing last week when we held our Annual S&C Slatter Bursars’ Golf Day at the iconic Celtic Manor in Wales.
Taking place on the stunning Montgomerie course, the golf day was a great success, providing an opportunity for bursars to reconnect ahead of the much-anticipated ISBA Annual Conference 2021 at the ICC Wales, where S&C Slatter was proud to be a Conference Support Sponsor.
As with the ISBA Annual Conference, our annual golf day had been on hold during the pandemic and when the new date was announced, some eyebrows were raised in our team at the thought of what the weather might be like – in late November – in Wales…
We needn’t have worried. We were treated to a day of blazing sunshine and crisp blue skies, providing a striking backdrop for the stunning course at Celtic Manor.
The day began with our golfers checking in to receive their scorecards, golf balls and team numbers. Tea, coffee, and bacon rolls were on offer to all to help prepare them for the day of competition ahead!
With a short introduction from our Group Director Jason Douglass and our Contracts Manager (and golf guru) Wayne Sexton, our first team headed off to get the day’s golfing underway.
The 18-hole Montgomerie Course, designed by Ryder Cup legend Colin Montgomerie, offered our golfers a par 69 challenge with spectacular views over Welsh hills and valleys.
Briefly stopping at the halfway inn for a lunch break at the 9th hole, the course offered a full day of glorious golf, with both team and individual prizes on offer.
To round off the event, we hosted a (well-earned!) three-course dinner for our golfers in the Via Julia suite at Celtic Manor Golf Club.
During the dinner, guests were invited to select their ‘Champagne Moment’, with some fantastic stories shared by each team.
Once everyone was well fed and relaxed, it was time for the competition results, prize giving and some more drinks to cap off a wonderful evening.
Congratulations to all of our prize-winners, it was a tight competition!
Thank you very much to everyone who joined us for the golf day at Celtic Manor – and to those who visited us on stand at the ISBA Annual Conference, it was great to see so many new and familiar faces after so much time apart, a fantastic event all round!
Give our friendly experts a call on 01635 34521 or email info@sandcslatter.com
With a long established reputation in the independent school sector, we’re thrilled to announce our new three-year partnership with the Professional Association of Directors of Sport in Independent Schools (PADSIS), and Independent Coach Education.
Sharing a commitment to deliver long-term value to the education sector, this exclusive new partnership will provide PADSIS and Independent Coach Education members with access to expert guidance, workshops, and webinars to educate and support Directors of Sport in the development of sports facilities for Independent Schools.
With a proven, longstanding reputation in the Independent School Sector, S&C Slatter is a leader in sports facility planning, design, construction, finance, and maintenance. As an ISA Gold Preferred supplier, we’ve been trusted by clients for over 30 years, including Eton College, Charterhouse School and Holy Cross Preparatory School.
Jason Douglass, Group Director, S&C Slatter, commented:
“We’re proud to be partnering with PADSIS to support its mission to enhance the quality of leadership and management of sport in independent schools. Having developed an impeccable reputation in the sector over the past 30 years, we have an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by DoS, as well as the motivations and standards required by stakeholders that are unique to independent schools.”
PADSIS (Professional Association of Directors of Sport in Independent Schools) is a body endorsed by the HMC, GSA, IAPS and ISA that supports and empowers teachers responsible for leading the games programmes in independent schools, to assist in delivering sports programmes that meet and exceed the needs of the 21st Century.
Working in close partnership with PADSIS, as well as governing bodies like the RFU, British Gymnastics and England Lacrosse, Independent Coach Education provide training, recruitment and advisory services to stimulate high quality PE and School Sport in the UK and internationally.
Neil Rollings, Chairman, PADSIS, commented:
“Our aim is to provide our members with access to information and resources that will better enable them to shape the future of sport in their schools. Facility developments are an ongoing priority for all schools: as programmes and demands change, new and creative solutions are always required. We are therefore delighted to partner with S&C Slatter, to bring their highly-respected expertise to members who are looking for advice and guidance.“
We’re delighted to be embarking on this new, three-year partnership with PADSIS and Independent Coach Education and look forward to working together to support their members in the development of first class sporting facilities.
To find out more about our new PADSIS and Independent Coach Education partnership, please get in touch.
Call 01635 34521 or email info@sandcslatter.com
Following our recent Q&A with our new Health & Safety Manager Jordan Ostrowski, we’re already welcoming another new starter to the team!
Taj joins us with fantastic construction estimating and design experience, as well as a keen interest in sport. Read on to learn more about his new role, background and experience in our welcome Q&A!
Hi, thank you! My first week has been great in all honesty. At first, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but my new colleagues have been very welcoming and have helped me settle in quite well. I feel as though I am part of the family already! It’s safe to say I’m really looking forward to getting more stuck in and growing with the company.
I started my career in 2013 when I moved from London to Swindon, working as an Admin Clerk for Swindon Borough Council’s Highways Department. After a few months of being in the role I took a keen interest in how my own role fit within the roles of my colleagues, so from time to time I would shadow our supervisors and designers within the department to gain more knowledge and understanding of what they do and the industry in general. A little after a year of being an admin I was offered the role of Assistant Designer.
I continued in that role for 5 years completing my HNC (Higher National Certificate) in Civil Engineering Level 4/5 and would design highways throughout Swindon Borough, as well as creating tender documents for projects.
In 2019 I was then offered the opportunity to do estimating for a well-established tarmacking company. I spent just over 2 years with them, gaining valuable knowledge and skills while pricing jobs nationwide, providing very competitive rates for new and existing clients.
My new role here at S&C Slatter is in Estimating. The role itself varies, from being out on site visits to reviewing and pricing tender documents for our clients. As part of the team I will be pricing a variety of projects, while being as competitive as I can to deliver maximum value. The team we have here are productive, knowledgeable and ambitious and I know I’ll learn a lot from them.
Though I am still fairly new to the sports construction industry, the biggest change – as with most of the construction industry – has been to adapt to the challenges and constraints caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
At present I think the biggest challenges customers are facing, aside from common challenges such as funding and planning, are dealing with the continued impact of the pandemic and other factors which have led to labour and material shortages. That’s why it’s important to work with companies adept at forward planning and risk mitigation, particularly through having a skilled workforce available in-house.
To start with, my biggest challenge will be to learn and understand the processes and procedures here at S&C, then my focus will be on building a rapport with new and existing consumers, to work collaboratively to advise and assist them in defining their objectives.
Well, the main thing that caught my attention with S&C was the fact that they are a sports construction company. I am really into my sports and of course my career stems from a construction background. So far, I’m finding it really interesting too see how everything pieces together and I’m really looking forward to further develop my knowledge within this industry.
The first advice I would give anyone would be to avoid asking me anything too technical just yet, I’m in my first week so I’m still in the ‘smiling and nodding my head as I try to take it all in’ stage! But in all honesty my advice would be to always seek professional assistance from a sports construction specialist before committing to any works – whether that be a new development, refurbishment or maintenance. It will save a lot of time and money in the long run.
Wow where do I start! So outside of work I get involved with a lot of things entertainment wise. I often host/ present events and shows, I do acting from time to time so I’ve been a supporting artist in a few series, movies and short films. I also manage a few up-and-coming artists for their music. I used to play football, now I just enjoy watching it on my overpriced TV package. For the last few years (since the start of the pandemic) I’ve been getting more into investments and trading again. I live a pretty boring life to be honest!
It’s been great to see Taj settling in to his new role so fast already, a great asset to the team – welcome!
Our estimators are on hand to give you the best possible understanding of what’s possible on site, and at what projected cost.
If you’re considering a sports construction project and want to ensure maximum quality with minimal risk, get in touch with Taj and the team on 01635 345 21 or email info@sandcslatter.com.
S&C Slatter were overjoyed to join our group partners White Horse Contractors on stand at the 75th annual SALTEX Exhibition 2021 this week, where our stand was awarded best in category!
Challenging, unprecedented, cancelled – words we’ve seen time and time again since March 2020. So, it’s particularly special to be able to use words like bustling, social, a success to describe SALTEX 2021.
Hosted by the Grounds Management Association (GMA), SALTEX has been a key event in our industry’s calendar and was sorely missed last year – so the buzz was palpable when walking into the NEC this week for the show’s 75th Anniversary.
Exhibiting with our group partners White Horse Contractors, our teams thoroughly enjoyed welcoming an array of new and familiar faces onto our stand and were delighted to be awarded Best in Stand Category for excellence in exhibition practice and customer experience at SALTEX 2021.
We were certainly in great company at the show, situated alongside White Horse Contractors’ hybrid turf partners GrassMaster Solutions, who together recently made history with the UK’s first hybrid turf pitch installation at an independent school.
As well as the event itself, we celebrated the return of SALTEX with “The Social @ SALTEX”, an exclusive evening event hosted by White Horse Contractors, GrassMaster Solutions and Intelligent Play, which was a fantastic opportunity for the team to catch up with clients, partners and industry peers after so long apart.
A huge thank you to our group partners White Horse Contractors, as well as our team, partners, visitors and the GMA for such an enjoyable time at SALTEX, where were able to truly showcase the benefits of our collective offering.
It was a testament to the GMA to see such a strong turnout for the event, a fitting celebration for its 75thanniversary and a powerful sign of the strength and resilience within our industry.
See you next year!
Give our friendly experts a call on 01635 34521 or email info@sandcslatter.com
Joining the company during a particularly busy time, chartered health & safety practitioner Jordan truly hit the ground running thanks to his extensive experience across a variety of sectors.
Bringing with him a particularly unique viewpoint on the importance of health and safety in the construction landscape, we sat down for a quick Q&A to find out more about his background, role and experience.
The first couple of months have been great, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the team and understanding the culture. It’s been busy, but I always say that it would be boring if it wasn’t a challenge.
I am a chartered health and safety practitioner and have worked in this capacity now since 2012 across a range of industries including construction, warehousing and logistics, rail, retail, property management, and healthcare. Prior to gaining my H&S qualifications, I worked as an installation operative for a playground construction company for a few years but changed direction after suffering a serious workplace accident.
As S&C Slatter’s Health, Safety, Environment, Quality and Training Manager (or ‘HSEQT Manager’ as I have coined it!) I’m fortunate that I get to work with all of the teams, and support all the S&C divisions. In a nutshell, you could say that my role is to effectively manage all aspects of quality, health, safety, environmental and training, and drive the development and implementation of continuous improvement strategies across the company.
Well, aside from having to knock elbows or bump fists instead of shaking hands, the fact is, a lot has changed! Even with the high vaccination uptake, there are elements of this so-called ‘new normal’ that are likely to be with us for years to come – perhaps even forever.
Without being able to work from home, the construction industry (among others) had to take the first, unsure steps into the unchartered territory of the ‘new normal’, accommodating perspex screens, hand sanitiser and PPE into their every-day working lives. This served as a blueprint for businesses of all types across the nation, and there are little signs of them being phased out.
On a positive note, prior to the pandemic, we “shouted safety but whispered health” but it does seem that the balance has shifted to more accommodate health and wellbeing. The industry has shown real resilience with new ideas on how to collaborate and innovate to enable projects to restart safely.
I think that employers struggle to find the right balance when determining risk mitigation. There is endless information out there, and sometimes it feels like you’re stuck down a rabbit hole when trying to find the right solution. When faced with this ‘analysis paralysis’ – sometimes it’s better to go with your gut instinct. There isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to ensuring appropriate health & safety, and the legislation is designed to put the onus on the employer – after all they know their business better than anyone else. It just requires a bit of time and effort to put the right foundations in place.
Based on the first few months, I would say time is my biggest challenge, we are so busy! The most important part of my role is continuously reviewing and improving our HSEQ management system to ensure compliance and enable maximum efficiency.
The opportunity to work with industry leaders in a role that I can develop.
My advice would be to consult S&C Slatter. 😊
I love sport and played a lot of football and cricket growing up, I watch my beloved Liverpool whenever I can. My biggest passion though is probably food – growing it, cooking it and of course eating it.
A huge thank you to Jordan for taking time out to answer these questions, especially during such a busy time. We’re glad to have you on board as our new health and safety manager – welcome to the team!
Putting the safety of our staff and clients is at the forefront of what we do. Every project we undertake involves our dedicated health and safety manager, contracts managers and site managers to ensure best practice is delivered on all of our sites.
If you’re considering a sports construction project and want to ensure maximum quality with minimal risk, get in touch with Jordan and the team on 01635 345 21 or email info@sandcslatter.com.
We’re delighted to announce that clients can now utilise our long-standing expertise in sports facility design and construction to build high-quality padel courts across England and Wales.
With more than 30 years’ expertise in sports facility design, construction, and maintenance, we combine heritage with innovation to offer clients the very latest technologies in both traditional and emerging sports, such as padel.
We’re proud to work with leading padel court manufacturers to design, construct and maintain high-quality padel courts in England and Wales.
Andrew Cackett, estimator, S&C Slatter, commented:
“Having worked with a wide range of industry experts, including the LTA, to help develop the SAPCA Code of Practice for the Construction of Padel Courts, I’m looking forward to helping clients realise their padel ambitions.”
One of the world’s fastest-growing sports, padel is a racket sport combining elements of tennis and squash and is recognised by the LTA as “easy to play, fun and extremely sociable”. Boasting over 12 million players worldwide, the sport is suitable for all ages and abilities, perfect for encouraging participation in schools and for retaining and attracting new members for leisure centres and tennis clubs.
Padel forms part of the LTA’s key strategies to grow participation and, as the national governing body for padel, they plan to develop the growth of the sport, with a goal of 400 courts in place across Britain by 2023.
25% smaller than a traditional tennis court, padel courts take up less space, making them a great option to maximise underutilised space for sport in schools and clubs.
Find out more about padel on our dedicated padel court page.
Padel tennis arrived in Europe from Mexico in the 1970s. The sport gained huge popularity in Spain where there are now over 20,000 padel courts and it’s also very popular in Italy and Argentina.
As a result, many padel courts are manufactured for use in warm climates making issues such as rust and corrosion an issue in the UK. Likewise, drainage systems may not be suitable for all-weather performance.
In our role as principal contractor, we undertake a thorough evaluation process to ensure we only install high-quality courts, with components specifically designed to withstand the UK climate, that meet exacting technical and performance standards.
Jason Douglass, Group Director, S&C Slatter, commented:
“We are delighted to bring our construction expertise to the padel court market in England and Wales. We strive for constant innovation in both traditional and emerging sports, such as padel. We’re thrilled to be able to offer clients a one-stop solution for their padel needs, from initial design to planning, finance, construction and maintenance.”
We’re thrilled to be embarking on this exciting new journey, offering first-class padel court construction for schools, universities, tennis clubs and leisure centres.
To find out more about padel or our new PRO Padel Courts partnership, please get in touch.
Call 01635 34521 or email info@sandcslatter.com
The Slatter Group is thrilled to be announced as the new Official Pitch Partner for The Northern Premier League!
The announcement comes ahead of the Northern Premier League’s 2021/22 season, which will see 81 teams competing across the league’s four divisions.
Following a lengthy tender process, we’re delighted to have been selected by The Northern Premier League as their new Official Pitch Partner. The league recognises The Slatter Group’s breadth of experience in the football sector and our mutual desire to improve transparency and education for teams when it comes to all things pitches.
As part of the partnership, Northern Premier League Clubs will benefit from The Slatter Group’s 90+ years’ combined experience across our two companies, S&C Slatter and White Horse Contractors. Throughout the year, The Slatter Group will deliver roadshows and webinars, delivering comprehensive support on the design, construction, finance, and maintenance of football pitches. In addition to this, the league’s 81 clubs will benefit from personalised guidance in areas such as bid writing, business case preparation, finance packages and environmental sustainability.
Mark Harris, Chairman, Pitching In Northern Premier League, commented:
“The Slatter Group submitted a standout presentation as part of our tender process. In particular, we were impressed by their commitment to engaging with our clubs to help educate and share best practices in raising standards. The Slatter Group’s ability to provide essential consultancy to our clubs for grass, hybrid and artificial pitches means that informed choices can be made.”
We’re proud to have built a strong presence in English football already, at all stages of the football pyramid, working with grassroots clubs right through to elite premiership teams. S&C Slatter is the leading non-league supplier, with over 40% of clients achieving promotion following installation, such as Harrogate Town FC, Sutton United and Walton Casuals FC. Working exclusively with FIFA Preferred Turf Producers FieldTurf, we’re one of a few select suppliers to the Football Foundation AGP Framework 2020-2024, a scheme we have proudly been reselected for each cycle since its inception in 2010.
White Horse Contractors, established in 1957, has a decorated history in sports construction, delivering natural and hybrid turf pitches for clubs including Chelsea FC, Wimborne Town FC and Queens Park Rangers. We partner with the leading hybrid turf manufacturers GrassMaster.
Jason Douglass, Group Director, The Slatter Group commented:
“We are delighted to be joining The Northern Premier League as their Official Pitch Partner, with a shared objective to help clubs attain maximum performance and value from their football pitch design, construction, finance and maintenance.
Using our substantial in-house experience and working closely with innovative turf partners such as FieldTurf and GrassMaster, we’re thrilled to be able to support clubs across the NPL in the development of sustainable, durable and top-quality facilities.”
With the new season kicking off tomorrow, we can’t wait to support The Northern Premier League and their teams under this exciting and exclusive new partnership.
S&C Slatter work exclusively with FIFA Preferred Turf Producers FieldTurf, with White Horse Contractors partnering with GrassMaster Solutions, ensuring an unrivalled quality of construction and surface expertise when building and maintaining pitches to elite performance standards.
Together we’re one of a small number of contractors selected for the Football Foundation AGP Framework, run by the FA, Premier League and Government’s grassroots football charity – which we have proudly supported since its inception in 2010.
We’re delighted to be partnering with the Northern Premier League ahead of their new season.
Get in touch now to achieve your goals.
Call 01635 34521 or email info@sandcslatter.com
S&C Slatter were delighted to commence construction on a new multi-use games area (MUGA) at Stafford Grammar school this week.
The new multi-use games area marks the first artificial turf sports pitch to be constructed at the school. We were thrilled to meet with the Stafford Grammar’s Headmaster, Lee Thomas and Bursar, Richard Baum as groundworks commenced, not far from the school’s stunning Victorian Manor House.
The new artificial turf MUGA will feature cutting-edge turf from our exclusive partners FieldTurf – FIH, FIFA and World Rugby Preferred Turf Producers. The Hockey Gold Pro artificial turf system will include line markings to support the play of both hockey and football, with the sand-dressed system also suitable for lacrosse, tennis, and netball.
Speaking on-site, Lee Thomas, Headmaster, commented:
“We pride ourselves on offering a wide variety of enriching opportunities at Stafford Grammar School. Sport is so important for our pupils’ all-round development. We encourage all of our pupils to get fully involved and this new MUGA will improve our facilities for hockey and football training.”
With several facilities across the school’s 38 acres, the school had been planning to introduce an artificial turf pitch for some time, with planning permission granted in April of this year to convert an area of spare land close to the main school building.
Suitable for between 60-80 hours of usage per week, compared with 6-8 hours per week for natural turf surfaces, the new artificial turf MUGA will offer a safe, consistent, and high-performing playing service for year-round, all-weather sports.
Stafford Grammar School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 3 to 18 at Burton Manor. A centre of academic excellence, the school prides itself on offering a ‘stimulating and inspiring education’ for over 400 pupils.
Part of this offering includes the provision of excellent sporting and extra-curricular opportunities to develop pupils’ sporting, personal and social skills.
We’re thrilled to be supporting the school in their development plans, ensuring they continue to provide first-class facilities for pupils to thrive. We look forward to revisiting the site to see the new pitch in action next term!
S&C Slatter are leading contractors for artificial turf, polymeric and macadam multi-use games areas (MUGAs).
Our in-house civil engineering team are experts in creating quality bases for polymeric and macadam MUGAs, and we work exclusively with our partners FieldTurf (FIH, World Rugby and FIFA preferred turf producers) on the construction of artificial turf MUGAs.
View a selection of our MUGA construction project case studies here .
If you have any further questions on multi-use games, or would like to arrange a free site visit, please get in touch to discuss your needs. Call 01635 34521 or email info@sandcslatter.com
It was all smiles at Wimborne Town FC’s New Cuthbury ground yesterday as S&C Slatter handed over the club’s new cutting-edge 3G Training Pitch. The pitch was officially opened by Wimborne’s Mayor, Kelly Webb, alongside Ken Stewart (Club President), Tony Grant (Club Chairman) and Graham Bell (Commercial Director).
The 3G training pitch handover marks the completion of works for S&C Slatter at New Cuthbury, having also produced the design specification for the facility, with our sister company White Horse Contractors handing over the club’s natural turf stadia pitch in November last year.
Wimborne Town FC’s new home on Parmiter Drive, affectionately known as The New Cuthbury, has been a dream come true for the club, whose former pitch featured an ‘infamous’ slope with no permanent training facility on site.
Realised in part through developer relocation, the new facility was designed by our dedicated Design and Planning Division to FA’s Sports Ground Grading C, suitable for the National League System, ready to support Wimborne Town FC in their future league ambitions. The ground boasts the brand new 3G training pitch and natural turf stadia pitch as well as a new club house, car park and spectator areas.
A small outdoor ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the entrance to the 3G Pitch on Tuesday 22nd June, with Club Chairman Tony Grant joined by Wimborne Minster’s Mayor Kelly Webb, as well as additional representatives from S&C Slatter and the club’s board and coaching teams.
Speaking at the pitch opening, Tony Gates, Club Chairman commented:
“The 3G completes what is a fantastic facility for the club as well as the local community. There’s nothing like this in Wimborne and we’re very lucky we’ve been able to achieve this. It’s been fantastic working with S&C Slatter. The process has been so smooth, we barely knew they were here it was so well managed!”
Across a total of 22 teams within Wimborne Town FC, players of all ages and abilities will benefit from the new 3G pitch, for both training and match play. The first and development teams will train on the pitch twice a week, protecting the natural turf stadia pitch for optimum performance on match days, with the club’s academy utilising the 3G pitch daily for player development.
With 3G pitches suitable for 60-80 hours of usage per week, the club is also set to generate revenue through pitch hire, with the club already “over 75% booked” before opening, ready to serve the local community.
The town’s mayor, Kelly Webb, who officially opened the pitch, noted how the facility boosts Wimborne Town’s sporting offering:
“There’s a great strength in sport in Wimborne already with success in rugby and athletics. This new pitch is phenomenal and a welcome addition to our leisure facilities locally – we have a lot to offer for a small town!”
The new 3G pitch means that the club now has the high-quality facilities required to train and play on one site, which they were unable to do at their old ground. During the winter months, the club would hire 3G pitches in the local area to train, which was inconvenient and costly for the club. First team manager James Stokoe explained: “Twice a week we’d be at two different locations training, which was hard work.”.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, James sang the praises of the new 3G and natural turf pitches:
“The whole place is just fantastic, we’re really lucky to be here now thanks to the hard work from the board of investors and Graham Bell especially – personally I can’t thank everyone enough.”
Experienced in football club relocation, S&C Slatter were thrilled to construct the new 3G Pitch, with our design, construction, surfacing & civils teams all delivering works on site alongside our group partners White Horse Contractors.
Across The Slatter Group, we offer a one-stop-shop solution for clubs wishing to improve their grounds. From initial design and planning through to natural, hybrid and artificial turf pitch construction, ancillary works, civil engineering and specialist maintenance, clubs can rely on one dedicated point of contact from concept to completion.
We were delighted to be in attendance for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and hear first-hand the impact the new facility has already had – and how it will support the club’s ambitions for the future. With the first team excited to have their first training session on the new 3G pitch this Thursday, we look forward to cheering them on in their first pre-season friendly on July 6th!
S&C Slatter are the leading contractor for non-league football 3G Stadia Pitches.
We have delivered more pitches to the highest levels of non-league football than any other.
We’re committed to providing first-class pitches for top performance, maximum use and longevity, with the certifications and success rate to prove it.
With in-house expertise across design, planning, construction and maintenance, get in touch now to discuss your needs. Call 01635 34521 or email info@sandcslatter.com
