Fore Your Mind initiative is teeing off with a bang, thanks to a collaboration between England Golf, Mind, and Mental Health First Aid England, aiming to make the game more than just fairways and greens.
From staff and volunteers to weekend golfers, everyone can take a swing at better mental wellbeing through this new programme’s training and resources.
One in four people will face a mental health challenge each year, which is precisely why the Fore Your Mind initiative signposts golfers to trusted services such as Mind and the NHS.
Beyond that, it offers insight into spotting red flags in your friends or colleagues and looking after your own mental health.
It’s not just individuals who benefit: the plan is for clubs, counties and facilities to appoint at least one Mental Health First Aider on their teams.
Bedfordshire County piloted the scheme in January, training 15 Mental Health First Aiders for clubs in the area—and early results suggest a resounding success.
David Hawkins, Bedfordshire County Golf Secretary, recalls a rough patch in his own life where he reached out to a mate who’d been down a similar road.
“He pointed me in the right direction, I got the help I needed, and now I give several hours a week to others.
After working with England Golf, we used Bedfordshire as a pilot, and the results have been fantastic.
“In just a month, our first aiders have held over 25 key conversations, with several people already seeking further support,” Hawkins continues.
“It shows just how crucial it is to have Mental Health First Aiders on hand, because there are so many people who need someone to talk to—and, in some cases, it really could be a lifesaver.”
If you or your club would like to know more, click here. If you’d like to become a Mental Health First Aider, click here. You can also drop by England Golf’s Health Hub, which includes Golf Fore Her, by clicking here.
About Mind
- Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales, offering advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
- Their confidential information and support line, Mind Infoline (0300 123 3393), is available 9 am–6 pm, Monday–Friday.
- Mind’s online mental health community, Side by Side, is a safe virtual gathering place for anyone over 18 to share their experiences, connect with others, and access additional resources. Visit sidebyside.mind.org.uk.
- For employers, Mind provides free guidance to improve mental wellbeing in the workplace at mind.org.uk/work.
About Mental Health First Aid England:
- Mental Health First Aid England is a social enterprise, established in 2009. It is the national authority on mental health first aid.
- MHFA England’s vision is to improve the mental health of the nation by creating societal change so we can all talk freely about mental health and offer and seek support when we need it.
- This will be achieved by its mission to train at least 1:10 of the adult population in mental health knowledge, awareness, and skills. To date 1:40 (January 2023) of the adult population has been trained by MHFA England.
- MHFA England will achieve its mission through delivering mental health training into workplaces and will extend its reach to the NHS and Black people and People of Colour, through subsidised training.
- The organisation’s training, consultancy, and campaigning is paving the way for positive mental health in the workplace and beyond.
- MHFA England offers consultancy as well as a number of face-to-face, online, and digital training options to increase mental health awareness, knowledge, and skills, including the internationally licensed product, Mental Health First Aid.
- Mental Health First Aid is the mental health equivalent of physical first aid training and provides people with the skills and confidence to recognise the signs and symptoms of common mental health issues, start a conversation, and effectively guide a person towards the right support, be that self-help or professional services.
- More information about MHFA England and its courses can be found at mhfaengland.org or by emailing [email protected].
Ultimately, golf might be a solitary game when you’re eyeing that next shot, but the Fore Your Mind initiative reminds us we’re all playing together when it comes to supporting mental health.
