Hole in one as South Bimingham golf team wins prestigious national award
10 June 2008
Building on Birmingham's reputation as a National City of Sport, the golf team from Birmingham City Council’s South Birmingham Development Group has been awarded the Golf Foundation's prestigious Critchley Award at the recent PGA Golf Championships at Wentworth.
The award, which is presented annually to the major partnership project that has made the biggest impact on grass roots junior golf, was won after the group organised an extensive junior golf project in 2007. The project involved an estimated 3,700 children through 45 primary and secondary schools and community groups. By the end of December, six schools in the area had built their own Tri-Golf courses and had established their own Tri-Golf clubs, therefore giving youngsters the opportunity to play nine holes of golf during their lunchtime.
Free green fees for children aged under 11 and initiatives encouraging parental involvement were also introduced at municipal courses. The junior golf project also included work with a school for pupils with a range of special educational needs and a local charity that works with disabled youngsters. There was also an active involvement with the Golf Foundation’s inner city project – Golf Roots – helping the project organisers to reach children from all of Birmingham’s communities.
Councillor Ray Hassall, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport and Culture said:
“Thanks to the hard work of the South Birmingham Development Group’s golf team, more and more youngsters across Birmingham, have been able to try golf. As well as enjoying sport, through golf these young people can not only be healthier but they can also develop a range of valuable personal skills such as honesty, respect, concentration and perseverance.”
Edgbaston Constituency Chairman: Councillor Deirdre Alden comments, “I would like to congratulate the golf team and also the many school head teachers involved in the scheme, for their work with school children across the Edgbaston and south Birmingham area. It's wonderful to see children having the opportunity to play golf. I'm sure many of the children will go on to be both regular golfers and responsible citizens."
For more information on the junior golf programme and 2008's Golf Roots activities, contact Harborne Church Farm Golf Professional Paul Johnson on 0121 427 1204 |
