Leeds Golf Centre, the home of Leadbetter Leeds has always been a welcoming and affordable place for people to learn and take up the game of golf, and now, post-pandemic, we have a clear road ahead of us to make golf more accessible than ever. Our new ‘Access to Golf’ programme, aims to give both children and adults from ALL backgrounds, the opportunity to take up the game, meanwhile improving the sustainability of the sport by adapting and repurposing equipment.
The Parklane Group (The Golf Centre’s Owners) also run the Parklane Foundation, a charity very much dedicated to doing good through sport, and they have partnered up with the Golf Foundation, and Zero Waste Leeds to fund this innovative programme.
We are building partnerships with schools in the less privileged parts of Leeds, doing in-school visits, “taster” sessions at the club, and giving them regular access to the golf course, tuition and the facilities here at the golf centre. These are the children that would be less likely to experience golf organically. With the long-term view to offer scholarships to children who have progressed through the programme, which would include funding for membership, travel, equipment, coaching and mentoring and more.
The purpose of the programme is not to create elite golfers, though if this happens then, great! The purpose of this programme is to allow children to enjoy the environmental and social benefits that golf can provide.
Leeds Golf Centre will now be the official hub for Zero Waste Leeds golf repurposing drop-off point. Meaning that if anyone in the Leeds area, or further afield has old golf equipment, that they can drop it off in our donation area. This equipment will then be available to budding golfers of all ages, to help them begin their golfing journey. Junior equipment that has been donated will firstly go to children from our partnered schools, and should we have a surplus, will then be made available to the public. Leeds Golf Centre’s staff will be working on modifying equipment to make sure as little goes to waste as possible.
Adults collecting equipment will be able to make an optional donation, of which 100% of the proceeds will go towards delivering coaching to our partnered schools. Hopefully, this scheme will one day become self-sufficient and sustainable in itself.
Click here to read more about the Access to Golf Programme
