The Golf Trust has secured Sport England funding for its national Paragolfer project. Starting this month, physically inactive disabled adults aged 14-65 will be introduced to golf by 10 Golf Trust PGA coaches at three venues across the country.
Participants in the project will take part in an eight-week structured golf programme at venues in Durham, Nottingham, and North London, and to ensure that their pathway to golf is sustainable they will also receive a set of golf clubs and two on-course rounds with their coach.
The project has been welcomed by Sport England because levels of inactivity among disabled people is very high, particularly among women. Disabled people, or those born with a long-term health condition, are twice as likely to be physically inactive (43%), compared with those without (23%) according to a recent Active Lives survey carried out by Sport England.
“75% of our target participants will have gone through a life-changing injury or illness which has meant they have potentially gone from participating in sport, to no longer being active due to their disability,” explains Cae Menai-Davis, founder of the Golf Trust and a director at The Shire London. “The remaining 25% will have been born with their disability. Whatever their background we know that this programme will act as a lifeline for many by giving them access to recreational golf and the additional social and health benefits associated with the sport.”
The Golf Trust is working in partnership with multiple organisations who will refer suitable service users to the programme. Participants’ disabilities are anticipated to include spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, amputation, muscular dystrophy, stroke, Parkinson’s and muscular sclerosis. Due to the nature of their disability, each participant will use a Paragolfer; an all-terrain wheelchair that raises the user into a standing position, to allow a safe and conventional golf swing.
The partners for the project include The Matt Hampson Foundation, Wheelpower, and the RFU Injured Players Foundation.
Anyone interested in signing up for the programme should visit www.thegolftrust.com or email cae@thegolftrust.com.