England Golf has unveiled ‘Respect in Golf’ – a movement designed to inspire, promote and create greater understanding and embracement of equality, diversity and inclusion within the sport.
England Golf’s mission is a clear one – golf belongs to everyone, all who play, and all who aspire to play, must have an equal opportunity to do so.
By launching the Respect in Golf movement and working alongside the other Home Nations, industry partners and affiliated clubs, England Golf is committed to driving the message that there is no place for discrimination in golf.
Jeremy Tomlinson, Chief Executive Officer at England Golf, said: “We recognise the negative perceptions of golf regarding age, gender, ethnicity and ability, which we intend to break down. There are too many good people in our sport looking to drive a more inclusive, welcoming culture for us not to drive communicated change through this movement.
“Our England Golf Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Framework, alongside the Junior Golf Strategy in collaboration with the Golf Foundation, has been created to not only increase participation throughout underrepresented groups but to also address and change perceptions. We see Respect in Golf running through the heart of everything we do on a daily basis.
“Respect in Golf simply means, anybody, who is or wants to participate in golf in any way, shape or form, feels that they are cared for and treated equally, feeling encouraged to progress further in the game without worry or concern that they are not welcome.”
The Respect in Golf movement has initial underpinning from a survey of English golfers providing valuable insights into the culture of golf and how it can improve nationally. Over 22,000 people responded to the survey with Tomlinson stating: “The reaction to the survey is a clear indication that there are many voices that need to be heard within our sport and we thank everybody for their input. We are genuinely excited about this movement, as such we are encouraging everyone not to just recognise Respect in Golf, but to celebrate it with actions, as we look to grow our sport helping it appeal more to the wider public.”
The campaign has four core pillars, each highlighting aspects of diversity and inclusivity which are further explained on the England Golf website at www.englandgolf.org/respect-in-golf.
The campaign’s pillars are:
LEAD by example: Respect in all we do
ENERGISE & SUPPORT with better understanding: Establish a shared language for change
DELIVER a safe environment: SafeGolf accreditation
INSPIRE the most welcoming environment: Everyone must have an equal opportunity to participate in golf at any level.
Respect in Golf has launched with a video which can be viewed here.