Introducing Golf in schools & communities

Our Impact

1- 226,265 young people introduced to golf via schools and communities

2- 1,403 schools registered for Unleash Your Drive in Schools

3- Holiday Activity and Food projects introduced 2,552 young people to golf

The Context

1- That’s enough to fill Wembley Stadium THREE TIMES

2- We are 7% of the way to getting golf in every school in the UK

3- Children from lower-income families are FIVE times less likely to access golf than their peers

Research shows only 47% of UK children meet the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines for daily physical activity. PE time in schools has fallen in the past decade, and access to a variety of sports is uneven – children in disadvantaged areas are 40% less likely to access non‑traditional sports like golf.

The School Games 

The School Games inspires young people to stay active for life through positive experiences of daily physical activity and competition. 

Through our long-standing partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, the Golf Foundation has embraced the School Games since its launch in 2010 and uses this national initiative as a platform to deliver its adapted formats to all young people in schools across England. 

Through the support of the Professional Golfer’s Association, the Golf Foundation continues to fund PGA Professional Coaches visiting their local schools.  29,623 pupils received introductory coaching in their school from a PGA Professional.

In only its second year, our headline schools programme continued to attract applications from hundreds of schools across GB&I.  We were delighted to see its expansion into the island of Ireland as part of a national programme supported by Golf Ireland.  We also funded a new Community Impact Manager role in partnership with Scottish Golf which has helped to promote and coordinate Unleash Your Drive in schools across Scotland.

OF THE PUPILS THAT COMPLETED THE QUESTIONNAIRES, OUR RESULTS SHOWED:

• Pupils showed a 20% increase in understanding about how to apply mental toughness skills 

• Pupils measured a 6% increase in overall mental wellbeing 

• Pupils showed a 93% increase in understanding of key golf skills (Grip, Aim, Stance, Posture) 

Working strategically with Street Games and the Holidays and Activity Food (HAF) programme in Birmingham and Lincolnshire, we introduced 2,552 young people to golf. 

BRING IT ON BRUM

The Golf Foundation supported the largest HAF programme in England – Bring it on Brum – for the fourth year running and has now introduced over 2,000 young people to golf, 82% are on free school meals. Other highlights include:

• 4 festivals delivered including 2 at the Betfred British Masters
• 28 youth groups with equipment and staff trained
• 70% participants from ethnically diverse communities

LINCOLNSHIRE HAF PROGRAMME

For the second year running, Lincolnshire County Council included golf in its holiday community programme expanding the number of youth clubs offering golf from 25 to 36, training 18 members of staff and running 2 festivals including an innovative ‘Glow Golf’ event in mid-winter. The project also now offers scholarships to local golf clubs and free equipment kindly provided by local business, PING.

The Lincolnshire CC Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme has supported children and young people receiving benefits related to free school meals through the Easter, Summer and Christmas school holidays. Children are invited to activity days, such as golf days with Golfway equipment, and have the opportunity to socialise, be active, and eat a nutritious cooked meal.

Research has shown that the school holidays can be a pressure point for some families, with children of low-income households experiencing:

• Reduced access to organised out-of-school activities
• Increased likelihood of experiencing ‘unhealthy holidays’ (concerning nutrition and physical health)
• Increased likelihood of social isolation

The HAF programme mitigates this by enabling the local council to reach these families and offer support throughout holiday periods.