As the Golf Foundation’s Unleash Your Drive programme continues to reach new schools across the country, and help introduce mental toughness tools to youngsters from all backgrounds, it’s no surprise that National School Sports Week was a busy time for the charity.
We kicked the week off alongside our ambassador Nicola Bennett, as our Development Officer Daisy worked with Nicola to deliver the Enfield School Games event at Bush Hill Park, with six schools and 60 children enjoying some fun games and activities.
The Blackpool Youth Games Festival hosted 80 schoolchildren from the local community at the Tee Time Golf Centre in Thornton-Cleveleys, while the Salford SSP Festival saw 380 young people pick up a club at St Edmund’s School in Little Hulton.
Elsewhere, more than 100 kids kids took part in golf across two sessions at Concord Park Golf Course in Sheffield, with the Golf Foundation teaming up with PGA Coach Rob Calderbank to deliver games. The event was part of the Arches Partnership Games which hosted over 600 kids and 10 sports across the leisure centre and golf course.
The Hampshire School Games event in Winchester, meanwhile, saw 1,200 young people taking part in various sports, including fun adapted golf games using Golfway equipment.
Up in South Tyneside, we also supported Boldon Golf Club and the South Tyneside School Sport Network with their secondary school street golf competition (Images Below). The U13 and U15 groups took part in an exciting six hole competition, as well as a long drive competition, before the medals were distributed at the end of a fun day.
Individual school visits continued to take part across the week too, with the Golf Foundation team visiting various sites across the country. Haresfield School in Stonehouse hosted a mini festival of their own for years three to six, with putting, chipping and team work skills all being put to the test under the watchful eye of Golf Foundation Officer Tom Sparks.
“We had a brilliant day at Haresfield,” Tom explained. “The youngsters here all loved the games we played and have been really enthusiastic to get their hands on a golf club and learn how to play the game. We know that we’re helping teach mental toughness tools, but they are just having fun and hitting the ball and trying to beat the other team. We’ve had smiles on faces all day and it’s been brilliant. National School Sports Week just helps highlight the great work that we can do when we can get into more and more new sites.”
The youngsters played a series of games – including Finders Keepers and Drive For Show, Putt For Dough – and they embraced the opportunity to try a sport they don’t usually get the chance to experience (Images Below).
“To have Tom come in and give the children a fantastic enriching experience was wonderful,” said Mrs Bacon, head teacher of Haresfield Primary School. “The feedback from the children and teachers was overwhelmingly positive – I think we will have to look at running more golf in the near future. It was such a bonus to see the team work and perseverance skills come out!”
It’s been a busy week celebrating #NationalSchoolSportsWeek this week, but the work doesn’t stop there, with more individual school visits and festivals lined up for next week and the months to come.
