A new ‘Groundskeeping Community’ has been launched by the Football Foundation, featuring support tools to help ground staff meet their grass pitch improvement targets.

A website has been developed at https://thefa.hivelearning.com/groundskeeping in partnership with The FA and the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) which supports volunteers and qualified groundskeepers who maintain pitches. Featuring a welcome message from Karl Standley, Head Groundsman at Wembley Stadium, the collaborative space will:

* build knowledge of key operations for pitch maintenance throughout the year
* connect with fellow groundskeepers and share experiences
* seek expert advice on getting the most from the pitches groundskeepers manage

Videos and news articles are being posted throughout the season related to pitch improvement, and local content can be also shared to promote the work which is currently being delivered. A number of groundskeepers and FA Regional Pitch Advisors already interact with the website.

The IOG are also adding any information clubs and volunteers will find useful as the website develops. Visitors are invited to post anything they think may have been missed so a groundskeeping community can be built for collective benefit.

Visit https://thefa.hivelearning.com/groundskeeping to join the Groundskeeping Community. Once registered, the Hive Learning app for iOS or Android is the easiest way to access the community on the go. Grassroots football information is also available in the menus above, by following @EssexCountyFA on Twitter and by searching for ‘EssexFootball’ on Facebook.