Introducing golf to young people from all backgrounds is the mission of our charity and through our HSBC Golf Roots ‘Plus’ programme we are committed to exploring new organisations to work with to help reach a wider audience, as we know that golf can positively change young people’s lives.
In 2021, our 12 new ‘Plus’ projects (listed below) will enable our charity to make golf more inclusive and accessible
Park Lane Foundation & Leeds Golf Centre
The Park Lane Foundation works with inner city schools to encourage disadvantaged communities to get involved in sport. This project is aiming to target ethnically diverse communities and will include adapted golf activity (the organisation has run a similar project using cricket).
Tyne Coast College (South Shields)
Tyne Coast College has identified a group of learners studying Games Design, who are physically less active and possess traits linked to low confidence, introversion and poor self-esteem. The aim of the project is to increase the group’s physical activity levels and confidence through golf.
The funding will go towards the purchase of golf equipment and travel expenses as the college is situated in an area of social and economic deprivation.
Get Glowing Golf Project (Active Humber / North Lincolnshire School Sports Partnership / Elsham Golf Club)
This innovative golf project has been influenced from insight gained at Women in Sport and Westminster conferences around the ‘Glow-in-the-dark’ concept. Glow-in-the-dark provision has been proven to reduce self-consciousness, which many secondary aged girls experience when participating in sport. Instead, the golf element of this project will allow girls new to the game to have fun and strike out on their own terms without prejudice!
Mosely School, Birmingham
Moseley School is based in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham with an ethnically diverse population. The funding will allow the school to purchase golf equipment so that it can run golf sessions for around 60-100 of its pupils. The activity will be supported by nearby Moseley GC, which is located a short distance from the school.
Wilson Stuart School, Birmingham
Wilson Stuart School is based in Birmingham and specialises in supporting children with physical difficulties and complex medical needs. The grant will fund the purchase of golf equipment and coaching as the school is planning to create a portable mini golf course on its school field which will enable its primary, secondary and sixth form pupils to access golf.
The school previously set up a very basic course with some spray paint, hoops and a few clubs and found that all the children that took part loved the opportunity and it was a very inclusive sport. They used ramps for those pupils that were unable to hold a club or were wheelchair users, and this was very effective.
Barrow Hill Primary School, Chesterfield
Barrow Hill Primary Academy is located in an ex-mining village on the outskirts of Chesterfield, in one of the most deprived areas in Derbyshire.
As many pupils are used to visiting the Lincolnshire coast on their holidays the school would like to create a 6-hole putting course on its site. The Plus grant will help the school to design and construct the course so that golf can be integrated into school life. There will be recreational golf play at lunch and break times, as well as cross curricular learning during curriculum time.
Hertfordshire Golf
A grant has been awarded to Hertfordshire Golf so that it can provide golf activity as part of Hertfordshire Sports Partnership’s ‘Fit, Fed and Read’ holiday activity programme. The scheme offers literacy support, sports activities and a nutritious meal to children in the most disadvantaged areas of the county.
Bath Rugby Inclusive Golf
Funding will allow Bath Inclusive Rugby to continue and increase its successful golf project (during the last 18 months Bath Rugby has introduced 19 disabled participants in the Banes area to golf at Saltford Golf Club). The grant will allow Bath Rugby to continue its working partnership with Bath Area Play Project, the National Autistic Society, Time 2 Share, Theatre Royal Bath and Bath & NE Somerset Council.
Bespoke Mentoring, Gloucestershire
In partnership with Gloucestershire Healthy Living and Learning Team, Bespoke Mentoring and Bells Golf Complex, this project will use an introduction to golf to engage Secondary school pupils who struggle with mental health challenges which prevent them from attending, engaging and benefiting from their education.
Edinburgh City Council
Edinburgh City Council has identified a need to support projects aimed at increasing opportunities for girls to be active, so will be working with Swanston GC to help more girls to enjoy golf.
Kirkcaldy Active Schools
This is a girls’ focused project for 3 secondary schools that have identified a significant drop-off in the number of girls participating in extra-curricular opportunities and PE. The project will offer girls the opportunity to learn all about the game of golf from recreation to participation.
Conwy Youth Service, North Wales
This project will offer golf activity to young people aged between 11-16 years in disadvantaged communities. There are no golf facilities in the area so the aim is to offer an adapted golf project in the community. To demonstrate that golf is an inclusive sport, the scheme plans to invite different golf players to the sessions, ideally young people, male and female, to talk to the young people about the positive impact that being active through golf has had on their lives.