Grassroots sport is growing with a new initiative to help recruit grounds staff

GRASSROOTS sport is the UK’s top hobby but have you ever considered a career helping it happen?

With tens of thousands of playing fields, sports pitches and stadiums nationwide, grounds management is a vital, often overlooked role.

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In the last decade, there were fears we could face a shortage of grounds staff, with many experienced employees retiring.

Progress is being made, with latest Grounds Management Association figures showing under-35s — such as James Ward, who works at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London — now make up 27 per cent of the grounds staff workforce.

That is compared to 19 per cent in 2022.

Geoff Webb, chief exec of the GMA, said: “It’s hugely encouraging to see the number of young people entering the sector is starting to rise.”

Alongside this, the number of grounds managers aged 24 and under has also increased from three to five per cent.

Starting salaries for grounds staff, or juniors, can be up to £17,500 depending on age, experience and qualifications.

Many schemes offer training from age 16 or 18.

And now there is a growing number of firms offering apprenticeships.

For experienced grounds people at major sporting venues, the salaries can reach £50,000.

Next month the GMA will hold its annual Grounds Week initiative, highlighting jobs and routes into the profession.

You can find out more about it at thegma.org.uk/learning/careers/career-advice or by searching #Grounds-Week.

PITCH in to help sport like James, assistant grounds manager with Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur.

James, 33, from Herts, said: “I would recommend this job to anyone who is searching for a role where they feel valued and have great opportunities for career development.

“You do not need qualifications, it’s about attitude over ability.

“A typical day can include mowing, fertilising or spraying.

“We also have to move light rigs around in the winter, tend to planting beds around the stadium, and conduct planning meetings around the events we host as a club.

“Weather conditions can be challenging, but being a part of a community producing surfaces that elite athletes play on is extremely rewarding.

“If you are interested in it as a career, I’d advise volunteering at your local club to get started.”

NEW BOOST FOR TRAINEE CABBIES

LONDON’S largest private hire taxi firm Addison Lee has launched a scheme to safeguard the future of the black cab.

The company, whose car and courier fleet now includes 2,500 black cabs, has partnered with cabbie training specialist the WizAnn Knowledge School to offer discounted course fees.

Aspiring black cabbies must pass The Knowledge, learning every road within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross.

But the cost of the four-year process can deter recruits.

Now, under the new scheme, trainees pay just £30 per month in the first year and the final fourth year is free.

Liam Griffin, CEO of Addison Lee, said: “If we want to see the black taxi thrive, then we must provide drivers with the right support and benefits to encourage them into the field.”

To sign up to become a black cab driver, apply at tinyurl.com/36jj9v66.

HELP TO KEEP OUR SHORES SAFE

IGN up for a brilliant summer job – raising funds for life-saving work around some of the UK’s best beaches and riverside spots.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is hiring 200 new face-to-face fundraisers, with part-time, full-time, seasonal and year-round opportunities available.

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You will receive full training and competitive pay, while developing valuable professional and personal skills.

Lucy Hampson, RNLI senior face-to-face fundraising manager, said: “Our face-to-face fundraiser roles are the perfect fit for anyone who is friendly, energetic and able to talk to anyone.”

Apply at rnli.org/fundraiserjobs.

YAY! THE LEAP DAY MAY PAY

GOOD old 2024 is a leap year – but does working the extra day at the end of this month mean more pay?

Alan Price head of human resources software company BrightHR, explains . . . 

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• WHETHER you get paid an extra day will depend on your company’s pay structure, so check your contract and previous payslips.
• For those paid hourly with a pay reference of one week (weekly paid), there will be no difference.
• Hourly-paid workers with a pay reference period of one month – meaning you are paid monthly – should see an increase as you will have worked for 21 days in February rather than the usual 20 days.
• Salaried workers will see no difference as they are paid with reference to the year.
• If you are paid the national minimum wage, your company may need to run a compliance check to ensure there are no breaches around the leap day and that working the extra day does not send your pay below the minimum wage rate.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk