C.A.G.U.

Recognising that golf clubs represent an important segment of community life; the project wishes to ensure that we can integrate a focus into the importance of mental health within county sport.

This new project has taken guidance from the success of a pilot project in Bedfordshire from which feedback has been sought. The two county organisations Cambridgeshire have aligned to produce a joint proposal. The two contacts co-ordinating the project are Fiona Whitney – Immediate Past President (CHWGL) and Alan Wood – County Secretary (CAGU)

The fundamental requirement is to work with MHFA England to have trained Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAider) within as many as possible of our 19 affiliated golf clubs.

The MHFA England Course offers four sessions over a two-week period on a face-to-face basis. Each affiliated club will send one representative. A refresher programme will be required after three years.

Posters will be prepared to promote the project – we understand that Bedfordshire had a successful WhatsApp group and a quarterly catch-up meeting, and we would propose to mirror this approach.

Cambridgeshire will deliver the programme through the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2025 following a programme of consultation and alignment of the affiliated clubs. The respective contacts advised above will form points of contact with affiliated clubs.

The cost of the training is £4320 with a share of the costs agreed as CHGWL (£1200) and CAGU (£3120)

Early intervention in an environment where club members feel safe and valued offers the potential for an effective first aid response plus early intervention. This early intervention may signpost members to seek help, be listened to and understand the online support available through MHFA England. This is a real opportunity for golf clubs to be generating a supportive culture for supporting members in for them, a personal crisis situation.

The feedback from the Bedfordshire project is that it was well received within their participating clubs. It is aligned to the England Golf Initiative on Mental Health as advised in the January 2025 Counties update session.

There were personal experiences offered during the England Golf presentation in January which demonstrated clearly an opportunity for golf to make a contribution.

It will first and most critically offer a source of mental health first aid at a point of personal crisis. The perception of the County organisations will be seen as offering a wider remit than just the development of the sport in its technical sense. Golf is a key component of community life and supporting mental health at a time where stretch in NHS is evident.

We hope to have a Mental Health First Aider in each of our affiliated clubs or at least the majority.

Success will be based on feedback from our affiliated clubs and golf club members. We will monitor also the number of first aid interventions that take place but with no enquiry of the specifics of the interactions themselves.