Andrew Mulhall has received a ‘Hero’s Handshake’ award in recognition of his work promoting junior golf at Belton Woods Golf Club and using social media to keep the members connected.
The 17-year-old from Lincolnshire has been on hand to help junior organiser Kenneth Claxon ensure boys and girls at the club are not only enthused for the sport, but also given the information they need to make the most of their memberships.
Andrew is a keen golfer himself and would love to pursue a career in the industry once he’s finished his studies at Northumbria University.
But for now, he remains totally dedicated to helping his fellow juniors get the most out of the game he loves.
After picking up his Hero’s Handshake award for June, Andrew said: “I’m quite taken aback… I wasn’t really expecting any of this, it’s been a really nice surprise, and I’d just like to say a massive thank you.”
The Hero’s Handshake award is given out to a junior golfer who goes above and beyond to help promote interest in the game and is presently jointly by the Golf Foundation and England Golf through their Young Ambassadors programme.
Like most teenagers, Andrew is big on social media and uses these platforms to tailor communications to younger members, bringing fresh ideas to his club in the process.
Andrew added: “I’ve found using Instagram has been the best way to get through to some of the younger juniors.
“Emails are used by the club for the parents, but it’s nice to direct messages to the juniors themselves – and they wouldn’t be reading emails.
“I felt we needed to make the communications more relatable to the younger juniors and this has worked.”
Andrew also gives up his spare time to represent the junior section at club committee meetings – ensuring younger members have their voices heard when it comes to the decision-making process.
This also helps promote a positive image of the junior section to the wider membership.
Andrew explained: “It’s always nice to represent the juniors and show everyone what we’re all about and give them a good reputation within the club.”
Junior organiser Claxon is full of praise for how Andrew has helped develop the junior section in recent times.
He confirmed: “Andrew is obviously inspiring the members of the section with his standard of golf, representing the juniors within the adult league teams.
“He always makes time to play with the newer members encouraging them to get out on the course.”
Andrew also took time to recognise the support he’s had from Ken and others at the club.
After receiving news of his ward in an online chat with some of England Golf’s Young Ambassadors, Andrew added: “I’d just like to say a massive thank you to Ken because obviously this wouldn’t have happened without his help, hard work and this nomination.”
