England Golf has unveiled ‘Respect in Golf’ – a movement 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.
Jeremy Tomlinson, CEO 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 campaign has four core pillars, each highlighting aspects of diversity and inclusivity which are further explained on the England Golf website at 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.
All golfers and fans of the game are encouraged to engage with Respect in Golf by visiting englandgolf.org/respect-in-golf and sharing its powerful campaign launch video via England Golf’s social media channels.