As FIH Certified Field Builders, S&C Slatter were thrilled to deliver a new sand-dressed hockey pitch to FIH National Certification at the University of Southampton in 2018. Following construction, the university entrusted our dedicated Maintenance Division to ensure the new pitch would sustain its high level performance standard.
Our team deliver specialist sports facility maintenance at the university’s Wide Lane Sports Ground, ensuring optimum performance and safety standards across the hockey pitch and neighbouring 3G pitch, despite heavy weekly usage levels.
The University of Southampton is a Global Top 100 University and one of the Top 15 Universities in the UK According to The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021.
A traditionally academic university, part of the renowned Russell Group, Southampton does not offer any undergraduate sports degree programmes. Much like other academic universities however, extra-curricular activities and facilities are recognised as an important part of both attracting students and providing a fulfilling university experience.
With over 20,000 students enrolled across 7 campuses – 5 of which are based in the City of Southampton – the university is committed to safeguarding the physical and mental wellbeing of its students.
As well as providing a variety of sport, fitness and gym facilities, this means ensuring that they are safe to use and in the best possible condition to ensure high quality play. The Wide Lane Sports ground is just one of many facilities owned and operated by the university, featuring a variety of sports facilities, including 1x artificial turf pitch for hockey and 1x artificial turf 3G pitch for football, rugby, lacrosse and American football.
It’s not only the students that enjoy the use of the university’s excellent facilities, with both pitches hired out and in use for over 50 hours each per week. With artificial turf requiring specialist maintenance, maximising the lifespan of these pitches – while maintaining performance standards and safety – were key objectives for the university when considering a maintenance provider.
Having constructed the new sand-dressed hockey pitch at the Wide Lane sports ground, the University were already aware of S&C Slatter. Impressed by the construction team’s workmanship, the university chose to work with our dedicated in-house maintenance team to ensure that the pitch would be maintained to the same high standard it was built to.
Stephen Pacey, Wide Lane Supervisor, University of Southampton, commented:
“S&C Slatter built the pitch and did a great job of it. We wanted to ensure that effective maintenance was performed by those who specialise in that type of work.”
The team deliver a bespoke programme of maintenance to the sand-dressed hockey pitch, as well as the adjacent 3G pitch on site. The pitches – as well as equipment and fencing – are assessed on arrival at each maintenance session. Our experienced practitioners look for any issues that may require repair, as well as using the inspection to inform the work carried out during the visit.
Maintenance work on each visit includes the removal of debris (litter picking, leaf blowing) as well as power brushing each pitch using our in-house specialist machinery. The 3G pitch is also decompacted with flattened pile revived and infill redistributed. Any small-scale tears or weaknesses in the artificial turf are repaired on site.
Using before and after photos and our unique e-reporting system, our technicians are able to showcase the works carried out on each visit – as well as notify the university of any potential safety hazards – with a detailed digital report emailed once the visit is complete.
Since the construction of the new hockey pitch and the bespoke maintenance programme carried out at the facility, S&C Slatter have ensured the quality and safety of the pitches at Wide Lane. Despite usage of over 50 hours per week on each pitch, the university are able to see – through player feedback, discussions on site and our detailed e-report – that the pitches are being kept to the high standards of safety and play required.
“We don’t get any negative feedback from our users – which is a sign of high standards being kept up”.
– Stephen Pacey, Wide Lane Supervisor, University of Southampton
By designing a tailored programme of regular maintenance, the performance, safety and longevity of each facility is protected. This ensures maximum safety and performance for users, as well as return on investment for the university.
We’re delighted to continue our partnership with the university following the construction of their FIH National Certified hockey pitch, ensuring that both pitches are performing safely and to a high standard through our specialist sports facility maintenance.
It's refreshing working with S&C Slatter, the pitch will be better for longer as a result without a doubt. Thank you and please keep up the good work!"
Slatter Sports Maintain is a specialist division of S&C Slatter with an exceptional heritage in sports facility maintenance, dating back to the company’s formation in 1991.
Projects range substantially in size, complexity and application but all continue to embrace and exhibit the same attention to detail and commitment to outstanding personal customer service.
Call 01635 34521 or email enquiries@slattersportsmaintain.com to talk to our experts.
Without regular maintenance in place, Freedom Leisure were facing excessive remedial costs. By partnering with our dedicated Maintenance Division, a programme of regular visits has greatly reduced overall maintenance costs and the need for remedial repairs.
Freedom Leisure is an innovative leisure trust with a number of sites across England and Wales. As one of the largest not-for-profit leisure trusts in the country, Freedom Leisure’s vision is focused on “improving lives through leisure”.
As part of delivering this vision, the trust holds a number of key objectives. Integral to these is improving and delivering quality services for customers.
In order to do this, an important goal for the trust is to maximise the lifespan and performance of each facility. This is where appropriate maintenance is crucial. Speaking with Sharon Morfitt, Group Procurement Manager at Freedom Leisure, it’s clear that the existing programme of pitch maintenance was proving costly:
“Our planned visit costs were low but the remedial spend excessive.”
The team at S&C Slatter reviewed Freedom Leisure’s existing programme and quickly identified the issue. Planned maintenance costs were low because the regularity of visits were too low. This was evidenced in the high remedial costs. By undertaking a thorough review of Freedom Leisure’s sites, the team were able to provide a successful solution.
“Paul demonstrated by increasing the visits the remedial costs would be significantly reduced – and that has been the case ever since. Paul’s knowledge and approach was impressive and it was clear we would secure a partnership as opposed to a customer and contractor relationship.”
The team deliver regular maintenance to over 20 Freedom Leisure sites. They ensure that pitches are kept in optimum condition, free from debris, with flattened pile revived. As well as this, they carry out ad-hoc repairs as required, such as removing and replacing small areas of artificial turf. By quickly identifying and resolving issues, further damage – that would be more costly – is prevented.
Since partnering with Freedom Leisure, remedial maintenance costs have been greatly reduced. This allows the not-for-profit trust to use that spend and reinvest it into members and facilities to achieve their goals.
Working together as a team, our maintenance experts ensure strong communication with Freedom Leisure:
“Without a doubt, you are the eyes and ears of our business and we look to you to direct and advise”.
By designing a tailored programme of regular maintenance, problems are resolved before they become costly issues. Not only has this lowered remedial costs, it’s protected the performance and longevity of each facility. This helps to ensure maximum return on investment.
It’s not only about reducing costs though. Sharon advised that regular maintenance has “stopped negativity“, improving the feedback from those using the facilities. This contributes to the trust’s objective of providing quality services and experiences for members.
Delivering over 180 scheduled maintenance visits per year, we’re thrilled to play our part in delivering the trust’s vision. We were delighted to celebrate 5 years of partnership in 2020 and look forward to continuing to work together to improve lives through leisure for years to come!
It’s a pleasure working with the whole team. The service is great, nothing is too much trouble and there’s always a genuine desire to support. That goes a long way to promoting a long term partnership."
Slatter Sports Maintain is a specialist division of S&C Slatter with an exceptional heritage in sports facility maintenance, dating back to the company’s formation in 1991.
Projects range substantially in size, complexity and application but all continue to embrace and exhibit the same attention to detail and commitment to outstanding personal customer service.
Call 01635 34521 or email enquiries@slattersportsmaintain.com to talk to our experts.
