Keeping Britain Moving is the title of this year’s Amenity Forum conference and the programme announced promises to be as topical and relevant as ever.
This major conference has very much become the must attend event for all involved or having an interest in weed, pest and disease control matters in amenity.
It also can appeal to a wider audience for those just wanting to understand more about this important and diverse sector. The conference will be held on Thursday, October 12, at the Pirelli Stadium, Burton on Trent.
The title - Keeping Britain Moving - has been chosen to align with the Forum’s ongoing and very successful campaign to communicate to the wider public the important and essential nature of weed, pest and disease management and why it impacts upon every UK citizen.
The opening session of the conference will commence with a policy update from Grant Stark from the Chemicals Regulation Department of HSE. This will be followed by two topical presentations focussing upon the challenges of keeping our cities and trains moving. These will be presented by John Parker, Transport for London, and Tony Saunders from JSD Research & Development.
There will then be a session chaired by Dr Ruth Mann from STRI entitled ‘Taking a more holistic approach to weed, pest & disease control’. This will include presentations from Andrew Kerr, a former spray operator of the year winner, and well versed in the demands of managing golf courses and their surrounds.
There will also be contributions from David Cary, Executive Director of the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association, as well as Dr Colin Mumford from Bayer who will focus on scientific innovations and developments in weed, pest and disease control.
Later there will be emphasis on what the future for weed, pest and disease management really looks at with thoughts from Mark De Ath from Headland Amenity, and Peter Corbett from Rigby Taylor. This will also include contributions from Barry Hunt on glyphosate – past, present and future, and a presentation by Professor Alan Gange from Royal Holloway University of London, who will report on recent research relating to biological control methods for Himalayan Balsam. Delegates will also hear from John Ledwidge, Head groundsman at Leicester City, a pitch regarded as one of the best in the Premier League.
To round matters off, we will hear about the interim results of the recent amenity survey and it is hoped that a member of the Colins’s family will be present at the event giving his opinion on all matters amenity. The Colins’s family are featured on the website www.GetBritainmoving.uk
Professor John Moverley, Independent Chairman of the Forum, says: "The amenity sector has made substantial progress in promoting and adopting best practice and its influence and recognition. However there is more to do and certainly no lack of issues to discuss at our conference, now a major event in the amenity calendar."
