GOLF FOR SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOL

Gloucestershire’s County Golf Partnership is breaking new ground by taking golf to young people with special needs.

Working with Active Gloucestershire and Bettridge School, the partnership is launching a Get into Golf initiative, the first of its kind in the southwest, for these youngsters.

The project has received its funding from the England Golf Partnership and receives vital support from Active Gloucestershire, Bettridge School and the Golf Foundation. The Pied Piper Appeal, which is a local children’s charity providing child friendly medical and play equipment within hospitals and the community, has just agreed funding for the equipment for the project.

The programme has already completed its first phase, the training of coaches and teachers. This was highly successful with over 20 coaches and teachers receiving specialist training to support the programme.

The second phase (delivery) will begin in the summer term with Golf Coaching being delivered at Bettridge School. It is hoped that this will serve as a model for other special schools that wish to offer golf to their young people. The Partnership has already received requests from two other similar schools to do the same with them, and with the equipment provided by The Pied Piper Appeal, those involved look to be very busy indeed!

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