The growing network of golf volunteers that supports new and emerging players is to be celebrated by the England Golf Partnership (EGP).
Nominations are being invited now in order to honour a range of volunteers with awards during the 2012 County Golf Development Conference at the National Golf Centre, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire (21 February, 2012). The closing date for nominations is 16 December 2011 and the easy-to-follow nomination form is found at www.golfvolunteers.org.
The winners will be volunteers who contribute within golf clubs, schools, county golf partnerships, training schemes and many other programmes. There are seven different volunteer categories in all, which take in age groups (including Under 18), volunteer coaching, those involved in club and county development, and lifetime achievers.
Phillip Beard, Volunteer Manager for the England Golf Partnership, said: “So many volunteers give up their time to help new and existing players of all ages to get the most out of their golf. Not only does this make the sport as a whole more welcoming, it also really helps those in our clubs, including PGA professionals, to help the whole membership to reach its potential, including encouraging new members.
“In February next year we will be celebrating volunteers of all ages, so we want some good nominations now to ensure that those who deserve special praise can be considered for an award.”
In its objective to ‘Grow the Game’, the EGP has expanded its volunteer base through a dedicated national strategy. Traditional club volunteers have now been joined by many young leaders, as well as volunteer coaches, PGA professionals who combine volunteer work with their regular coaching, schoolteachers and community sports representatives who all gain satisfaction from helping golfers of all abilities to play golf in our clubs and communities.
All of these people can be put forward and those interested in nominating a champion volunteer can do so through www.golfvolunteers.org
The national volunteering programme is delivered via the England Golf Partnership’s ‘Whole Sport Plan’ for golf and is an integral part of the England Golf Partnership’s vision to ‘Grow the Game’.