S&C Slatter is presenting a 3G Stadium Pitches Workshop at two National League football clubs during February. On 8 February Harrogate Town AFC will be hosting the first workshop with the second taking place at Maidstone United on 22 February. Both clubs have FieldTurf 3G football turf pitches installed by S&C Slatter.
These will follow an established and highly successful formula covering a wide range of issues of interest to clubs and organisations who are considering installing a 3G football turf match pitch or training facility. An S&C Slatter workshop at Sutton United last March attracted over fifty clubs from throughout England.
Aimed in particular at clubs in the upper levels of the Non—League pyramid, the workshop will look into the feasibility and process of installing 3G football turf. And of maximising the commercial and community development benefits which can accrue from the conversion to a 3G stadium pitch.
Registration is FREE of charge and is open for both venues
3G Pitch Case Studies, Artificial Turf Technology, the latest FIFA Rules for 3G football turf, Successful Business Plans, Funding Solutions and Pitch Construction and Maintenance will all be presented by a panel of experts who are acknowledged as leading specialists in their particular areas of expertise.
Delegates to the 3G Stadium Pitches Workshop will no doubt be looking forward to hearing the experiences of the two host clubs who have already made the decision to switch to 3G football turf. Irving Weaver, Chairman of Harrogate Town AFC will discuss the ‘Economic and community benefits of committing to 3G’ while Oliver Ash, Co-owner of Maidstone United and Founder of 3G4US is speaking on ‘Why football clubs should consider installing 3G stadium pitches.’
Admission is by pre-registration only. You can register by completing the 3G Stadium Pitches Workshop Registration Form at sandcslatter.com/3g-workshop or by calling S&C Slatter on 01635 34521. We will obviously be pleased to answer any questions you may have about the workshop.
Being good at what you do; having that recognised by others; growing as a successful business; being seen as a leader, is great. And at S&C Slatter we can rightly claim to have achieved all these things. It’s a testimony to the Slatter team – the skills, the experience, the motivation, the sheer hard work – to dynamic and determined management, and to investment in providing the right tools for the job.
But that’s not enough. We want to be the best. The very best Sports Construction & Civils Specialist there is. Today, tomorrow, every day. And that means constantly working to improve; to be even better. Throughout the company. In everything we do.
And why?
Because only by striving to always be the best we can, can we hope to offer the best possible product, the best possible service, the best possible value to our clients. And in doing so create the desire for others to come and see what makes us different from the ‘run of the mill’ and the ‘make do’.
So is this commitment working? Well, we took a ‘snapshot’ of what has happened in S&C Slatter in just the last couple of months. We wanted to see ‘real’ evidence of our improvement strategy showing as ‘real’ actions.
What we saw is:
That’s an investment of over a £1,000,000 in plant just in 2016.
We believe this shows how determined we are to deliver the best possible service through continual development as individuals and a team. Hardly surprising then that last month team members Stuart Wilkes and Toby Spearing both won awards from our client Willmott Dixon for outstanding personal performance on separate sports facility projects.
Having the right team with the right training, the right experience, the right resources, the right product and the right attitude genuinely helps us keep being the very best we can.
Mowden Hall School is getting a brand new artificial turf hockey pitch from FIH Certified Field Builder S&C Slatter and it’s just ‘Going green’. This is always a great time as the school, pupils and staff see the construction becoming recognisable as the superb hockey facility they have been anticipating with growing excitement.
The process of laying and installing the artificial turf itself, in this case FieldTurf Gold SD, very often comes as a surprise. It happens so quickly. This is partly because of the surfacing system itself which is quality-designed and bespoke manufactured for each project.
However the principal factor is our highly experienced installation teams. Each team member knows and thoroughly understands their individual tasks and have been specifically trained to complete these to precise quality standards. They work with the very latest technology and are supported by an in-house and on-site project management process which is demanding and second to none.
As a total company, S&C Slatter is tuned to complete its artificial turf sports construction projects via a seamless delivery which creates outstanding sports facilities and high levels of client satisfaction. It will come as no surprise that many of our new project introductions commence with a recommendation from an existing customer.
We have certainly enjoyed working with Mowden Hall School which is a vibrant, leading co-educational preparatory school set in glorious surroundings in the Northumberland countryside.
The school has a strong sporting tradition with high standards of coaching and good facilities to enable the children to develop impressive skills. As well as competitive team sports, the Sports Department promotes a sport-for-all attitude, actively including those pupils who consider themselves to be less athletic and ensuring they also have the opportunity to represent the school and develop their potential.
At Mowden Hall our team is completing a new 4500m2 build artificial turf hockey pitch which will enhance still further the school’s sporting assets. The project features 4500m2 of sand dressed artificial turf laid out for both hockey and football. Underneath there is an in-situ bound rubber shock pad over an engineered sub-base structure which incorporates a lateral drainage system.
Around the perimeter is 3m high rigid panel weld-mesh fencing and a spectator fence with a hardstanding area and access path. The pitch can also be divided using a 3m dividing net system bringing in to play two line marked cross play hockey pitches.
We’ll let you see some further photos once it’s fully finished.
S&C Slatter has sponsored another Bucks Sporting Lunch Club event organized by Bucks SportAid to provide funding support for local young athletes.
At last week’s event at Harleyford Golf Club, Marlow Rowing Club’s Ben Simon, 17 from Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire, was awarded £1,000 by SportsAid’s Bucks Sporting Lunch Club.
Created in 2011, the club is a way for local individuals, businesses and trusts – who want to support young, talented athletes in Buckinghamshire – to raise money to help with training, travel or equipment costs.
Ben will use his donation towards upgrading his equipment and travelling to the many rowing competitions he competes in every year across the globe.
His commitment to the sport impressed SportsAid trustees particularly with his training regime beginning at 4.30am every morning and devoting both Saturday and Sunday mornings to the sport.
Ben’s ultimate aim is to compete in the Olympics and cites James Cracknell as his sporting hero because ‘he won two Olympic medals and has rowed across the Atlantic Ocean,’ said Ben, adding that he ‘would like to follow in his footsteps.’ He doesn’t forget his mum who is his greatest influence, ‘because she takes me everywhere and is at every competition.’
Ben was unable to attend the lunch as he is currently in the US competing in the Head of the Charles Regatta. But he left a message for guests “I just want to say a massive thank you to SportsAid and the Bucks Sporting lunch club. The money that I received allowed me to go to the Coupe de la Jeunesse in Poland this summer, where I won two gold medals in the quad for Team GB’s rowing team.
“Thanks again for all the support and I hope to fulfil my dream of being at the Olympics someday.”
S&C Slatter Commercial Director Jason Douglass says “It’s good to feel that we are making a positive contribution to the future success of such an outstanding young sportsman. And it underlines our commitment to play a leading role in the sporting community”.
Headline speaker at the lunch club was Adrian Moorhouse, who won a Gold medal in the 100m breaststroke in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Adrian is a former SportsAid alumni so fully understands the importance of the grants and the impact they make in enabling young talent to compete on the international stage.
Stuart Wilkes of S&C Slatter has been awarded ‘Site Supervisor of the Month’ for September by Willmott Dixon for his management and organisational skills at the new Waterside Drive Sports Hub development, Walton-on-Thames.
Rory Morahan, Willmott Dixon Site Manager, says ‘Our Site Team chose Stuart to receive this award because he scored highly in a number of categories. Stuart has maintained good standards of record keeping, housekeeping and workforce control. He has hit his set targets and is always willing to help’.
As Site Manager for S&C Slatter, Stuart carries a good deal of responsibility as the company provides its specialist sports construction and civil engineering skills to main contractor Willmott Dixon. S&C Slatter is building two FIFA 2 star artificial turf football pitches, a natural turf football pitch, an 8 lane synthetic athletics track with natural turf infield and the facility car park.
Stuart is very pleased with the award “It’s great to be recognised in this way but it’s as much for my site colleagues as it is for me. It’s all down to teamwork with good, consistent communication. Many thanks to the Willmott Dixon Site Team for selecting me.’
For S&C Slatter it’s the second award from Willmott Dixon in the last month. Tony Spearing won the September Quality Award at the Edenbrook Leisure Centre redevelopment. David Slatter, Managing Director of S&C Slatter is delighted. “This is brilliant news for Stuart and the company. He thoroughly deserves the award and it’s fantastic to see both Stuart and Toby gaining such recognition. They both work very hard to reach the high standards we are seeing’.
S&C Slatter is an official Category A supply chain partner to Willmott Dixon which confirms their ‘Preferred Supplier’ status and commitment to collaborative working during all stages of the construction process. Achieving continuous improvement in service performance and delivery is a particular goal of the relationship.
Toby Spearing of S&C Slatter has won a major quality award from Willmott Dixon Construction for his innovation and dedication to the new Edenbrook Leisure Centre project at Fleet, Hampshire.
Alex Manning, Senior Building Manager, Willmott Dixon Construction made the announcement. “Congratulations to Toby Spearing of S&C Slatter who wins the quality award for September at Edenbrook Leisure Centre.
With no Quality Delivery Checklist in place for artificial sports pitches he took time out to meet Jane Roper, Senior Quality Delivery Manager and myself to create one from scratch. With Toby’s input we have helped improve our quality system for the rest of the company”.
Toby is Site Foreman for S&C Slatter on a key element of this major £23million leisure development for which Willmott Dixon is main contractor. S&C Slatter is constructing over 10000 square metres of artificial pitches comprising a full size 3G football pitch and four 3G 5 a side pitches. These include rigid panel perimeter security and rebound fencing and floodlighting.
In addition, the company is creating two natural turf mini-pitches with relevant fencing infrastructure.
Having worked as a member of the Slatter team for nine years, Toby says “I’m naturally delighted with the award and thank Willmott Dixon for recognising and appreciating my contribution. For me it was just doing my job to the best of my ability.”
David Slatter, Managing Director of S&C Slatter adds “We’re all really pleased for Toby and very proud of him. The company is entirely focussed on teamwork and delivering quality and excellence for all our clients. Toby couldn’t have demonstrated this more clearly.”
S&C Slatter is an official Category A supply chain partner to Willmott Dixon Construction which confirms their ‘Preferred Supplier’ status and commitment to collaborative working during all stages of the construction process. Achieving continuous improvement in service performance and delivery is a particular goal of the relationship.
This is a superb opportunity to work while you learn with the Country’s leading sports and civils specialist, S&C Slatter. You will gain invaluable work experience whilst studying to achieve a Nationally-recognised qualification in Business Administration.
The closing date for applications is 17 October 2016.
You will be working as a key part of our Contracts Team, providing general assistance and administrative support to the Department, and the Head Office in general.
Responsibilities will include:
Desired skills
It will be beneficial to have strong IT skills, and a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
Personal qualities
Ideally you will need to:
Qualifications required
It is preferred if you have at least C grades in GCSE Maths and English or equivalent qualifications.
Training
On-the-job training will be provided to achieve all aspects of the role requirements. Ongoing support will be offered by the Line Manager and your Newbury College Assessor to achieve the Apprenticeship.
The Apprenticeship will include:
Delivery of the Apprenticeship is mainly within the workplace to suit employer needs, with assessment of the qualification by your Newbury College Assessor and via portfolio/tests for some elements. Functional Skills tuition is delivered at Newbury College (if required).
Apprenticeship framework
Business and Administration
Training provider
Newbury College
Future prospects
There may be the opportunity for career progression and further training following the successful completion of your Apprenticeship.
Apprenticeship summary
Weekly wage
£240.00
Working week
40 hours per week Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm with 1 hour for lunch
Apprenticeship duration
14 months
Possible start date
24 October 2016
Apprenticeship level
Intermediate Level Apprenticeship
Reference number
VAC001115269
Positions
1 available
Things to consider
Our office is based in Enborne about 3 miles outside of Newbury. Although there is a 2-hourly bus that goes past the office, you need to ensure you can get yourself to and from work each day. This role may occasionally require you to also work additional hours as overtime.
Apprenticeship National Minimum Wage (ANMW): The National Minimum Wage for Apprentices is £3.40 per hour from 1st October 2016. This is the legal minimum pay per hour applying to 16-18 year old apprentices and those aged 19 and over in the first year of their apprenticeship.
For apprentices 19 or over who have completed their first year and are continuing their apprenticeship, the National Minimum Wage appropriate to their age applies.
To apply send your CV by email to Michelle Slatter at michelle@sandcslatter.com
The closing date for applications is 17 October 2016.
S&C Slatter clients have been talking about their new 3G football turf pitches. And the partnership they have enjoyed with the Country’s leading Sports Construction Specialists during the project development and construction phases.
Since the end of the last football season, the Company has built six 3G football turf stadium pitches for senior non-league football and community play – all ready for the start of the 2016/17 campaigns. With more on the way.
‘Our new surface is excellent’
Harrogate Town FC, Tamworth FC, Maidstone United, Eastbourne United, Haringey Borough FC and Slough FC all now play on state of the art 3G artificial turf systems installed using high performance construction technology and delivered by S&C Slatter’s fast-track project management team.
So what do these clients think about their new FIFA 2 Star Performance Standard facilities?
Irving Weaver Chairman of National League North Harrogate Town
“The pitch looks and plays remarkably well. So much so that all the teams that have played on the pitch to date have been really impressed. Once the rubber crumb had settled into the filaments, within a couple of weeks during pre-season, there is no discernible difference from the best of grass pitches.
Our first team squad trained on a new 3G pitch during last season and they confirm that our new surface is excellent.
‘Willingness to please was outstanding’
The installation has overnight changed our business model, with immediate high demand for usage by local and district teams. The additional revenue and cost savings, further enhanced involvement with the community, and the reassurance that we are developing a sustainable football club, will project the club forward.
We were delighted with the performance of S & C Slatter. The contract was completed on time and to budget. The quality of workmanship is there for all to see and, above all, their willingness to please was outstanding”.
Paul Maynard Chairman of National League South Eastbourne Borough FC has this to say,
“We are delighted with the end product. It looks magnificent and plays totally true – our playing and coaching staff are entirely positive about the surface. For the first time in our history all of our numerous youth teams will be able to play and train at the same site – and they are thrilled to be playing inside the main stadium. We were able to negotiate an advance long term contract with a national soccer league, which in conjunction with enhanced community use, should bring significant new revenue to the club. As with most football clubs our main asset is our stadium. Now, instead of using the stadium once a week or once a fortnight we can use it every day of the week.
‘Utterly professional’
We identified S & C Slatters as our preferred pitch supplier some time ago and they have worked closely with us throughout our planning process. They have been utterly professional and delivered on time and on budget. I cannot praise them highly enough.”
At newly promoted National League Maidstone United, Chairman Oliver Ash is equally enthusiastic.
“We found S and C Slatter to be most professional and helpful throughout the process, from the moment we approached them to tender to the period of installation. It was like having a dedicated, specialist in-house team.”
“The FieldTurf pitch certainly looks the part and the first few games have shown it to play really well.”
Tamworth FC play in the National League North and Chairman Bob Andrews is very pleased with their new 3G football turf pitch.
“From our first meeting with S&C Slatter Commercial Director Jason Douglass and our visit to the pitch they’ve installed for Sutton United, I had full confidence in their ability to deliver what we wanted. 9 months later and with the necessary financing in place, we were able to commence the construction of our own 3G football turf pitch.
‘We would recommend the company’
Right from the very beginning of the project we found the S&C Slatter staff good to deal with and they were very pro-active in getting to grips with our slightly unusual stadium and our specific requirements. The whole process went very smoothly and we would recommend the company from top to bottom as very efficient with a very good end product.”
There’s nothing really for us to add other than to say how much we enjoyed working on each of these projects. As is often the case, a strong client/contractor partnership was key to achieving the high quality standard of these outstanding new stadium pitches.
The importance of this approach now, if anything, assumes even more significance with the forthcoming changes to FIFA performance standards. Clubs will need to fully understand the implications of these revisions and decide whether the FIFA Quality Pro or Quality standard is the most appropriate for them and their stakeholders (community and other external users).
While FIFA Quality Pro is geared specifically towards the demands of the professional game, FIFA Quality is orientated to the durability and safety for more intense use at community level.
‘Like having a dedicated, specialist in-house team’
But it doesn’t stop there. You need to ensure that having chosen the correct route on performance, the specific artificial turf pitch system you are considering is equally the right one – particularly in achieving the consistency and longevity demanded by both new standards.
This has practical consequences for clubs, for instance placing even greater emphasis on the need for programmed specialist maintenance and after-care.
S&C Slatter can help your club work through this process by acting as specialist advisor and technical expert, comparing your vital project and business plan criteria against the relevant standards and site parameters. By analysing and reporting on the practical impacts and consequences of these, the company can support delivery of a successful project.
As Oliver Ash of Maidstone United said earlier, “It was like having a dedicated, specialist in-house team.”
And as we know, teamwork always wins.
S&C Slatter-installed artificial turf hockey pitches have been home to at least seven members of the outstanding GB Olympic gold medal-winning women’s hockey team.
Kate & Helen Richardson-Walsh and Alex Danson at Reading Hockey Club and Maddie Hinch, Sam Quek, Nicola White and Shona McCallin at Holcombe Hockey Club have all honed their skills and played their club hockey on artificial pitches delivered by the Country’s leading sports construction specialists. This gives a powerful testimony to the high performance quality provided by S&C Slatter’s in-house team of engineering, construction and project management experts.
Mad Dog’ Maddie Hinch, the GB goalkeeper who in the opinion of many gave the outstanding individual performance of the Rio hockey tournament in the final against Holland will be officially opening the new Bromley & Beckenham Hockey club artificial hockey turf pitch at Langley Park School for Girls this Saturday August 27th. The pitch has of course also been installed by S&C Slatter and features a Notts Sport sand-dressed artificial turf surface with in-situ rubber shock pad system.
The pitch provided by the company for Reading Hockey Club is the FieldTurf Hockey Gold water-based system with in-situ shock pad which plays to International Hockey Federation (FIH) Global Performance Standard.
S&C Slatter is an FIH Certified Field Builder and was the first globally to achieve this certification earlier this year. The FIH Certified Field Builder designation is an important part of the FIH Quality Programme for Hockey Turf, which is designed to ensure the sustainability, affordability and accessibility of hockey turf worldwide.
This internationally recognised quality-assurance programme recognises that a new hockey field is a major investment which demands that it meets the expectations of all stakeholders – hockey players, associations, clubs and schools. It looks to help in ensuring that good quality hockey fields are built for all levels of play from elite competition through to community development.
FieldTurf is an FIH Preferred Supplier.
At Holcombe Hockey Club, the brief was to refurbish and upgrade two existing artificial turf pitches and the club chose to appoint S&C Slatter as sports construction specialists. One pitch was engineered to FIH Global Performance Standard using a Notts Sport water-based artificial turf, whereas for the second facility, needing a FIH National Performance Standard level of play, a Notts Sport sand-dressed artificial turf was selected.
S&C Slatter joins everyone in congratulating the GB Women’s Hockey Team, and indeed all of our athletes, players, competitors and support teams, for a record-breaking Olympic performance. You should be proud of what you have achieved for yourselves and the whole Nation. You’ve given many hours of excitement, pleasure and inspiration to millions of people. Can’t wait for Tokyo 2020!
