Club in the Spotlight: Cainhoe Wood Golf Club

Cainhoe Wood Golf Club is helping to lead from the front with its commitment to providing mental health support for golfers through England Golf’s Fore Your Mind initiative.

Fore Your Mind was launched in early February following a successful pilot in Bedfordshire where Cainhoe Wood GC General Manager Stephanie Andrews was one of 15 Mental Health First Aiders trained to help people at their respective clubs.

Our friends at England Golf just spoke to Stephanie about the pilot, and the impact it is already having at Cainhoe Wood in supporting golfers...

Why did you become a Mental Health First Aider?

I'm a big mental health advocate and it's always really important for anybody in all walks of life. But especially in my job role, I find that more often than not, I’m walking around, having conversations with people and it would just be good to have the tools to actually realise I can make a difference in the conversation. I know what to do in terms of where I can signpost them to get a bit of help, rather than previously just being able to say, ‘I’m sorry to hear that’. It’s about having a bit of background and confidence in what I can say, to give a bit of support to people, which is really important.

How has the club supported you as a MHFA?

I am very lucky to have a brilliant team here. I have had numerous offers for support and a chat if I need it. Everyone here is fully behind the movement. I’ve had a few members who have also offered their support if I need it, as they have had the training too. Outside of the club, the Bedfordshire Pilot Group for the MHFA training are all on hand for each other to give us all that support if anyone of us needs it, which is incredible. I hope that everyone manages to adopt the same progress in the future.

How did the four weeks of the pilot go?

It's been a great first month. I was really interested in doing the course anyway, but once we got it under our belts, and we introduced it at the club, I just found it very refreshing. It’s had a really good reception. We had some healthy conversations within the staff, the members and our committee. I'm hopeful that this is quite open. It was just an important subject that I feel like we hadn’t talked about yet.

How has the club promoted the fact that they now have a MHFA?

We first announced it in our AGM which was about a week after the training. We have multiple posters around the club, including our advertising TV screens. We have a weekly newsletter that goes out to our members and frequent visitors, and we are making sure to circulate the information on a regular basis too. Plus, I love to talk about the pilot whenever I can, I’ve got the ‘Mental Health First Aider’ badge on my email footer as well. I’m just so proud to be a part of it.

What sort of conversations have you been having?

I've had a lot of general conversations. I've been bringing it up a lot myself and putting posters up and I'm quick to point to it! I have had some deeper conversations. I've had three touching conversations, and one person we have signposted somewhere else and that person, we've touched base again, and they’ve got some support, which I'm really glad about. For the other two, it was a bit of offloading, some general support, which was good and really helpful.

How would you encourage others to take part?

We are realising that mental health and physical health do go hand in hand. So, for your members and your staff, you can't expect them to be at their best when that health is down. We offer normal first aid, so mental health shouldn’t be looked at any differently. I feel like mental health should be looked at in the same way and it's not as taboo as everyone thinks or has been. It would be good to open up that conversation more.

What is Cainhoe Wood doing differently from before?

As a general manager and as a general person, I think mental health is such an important subject. I think finally in society, we're in a place where we are talking about it. As soon as I was back from the course, I began my homework and reading through the brilliant manual that MHFA England provided. We have a range of material available to advertise where to find support, along with our contact posters for Mental Health First Aider. We have printed smaller flyers with the information, in case someone wants to take it away with them or pass it someone else. I’ve started encouraging the team and members to start with the phrase: “How are you?” with each other. Overall, we are just more aware and more educated on what to look for and that important step of how to help and how to signpost when needed.

What are the plans moving forward?

As a club, we will carry on with our safe and welcoming environment by being inclusive, friendly and offering that supportive space for the community to grow. We will be providing mental health resources to display information for supportive services in the area. We have also been discussing holding a guest talk about mental health. We will continue our support of local charities and raising that awareness. We will continue to offer flexible and affordable golf options to keep golf accessible by keeping our twilight rates in the peak season, along with our pay and play option and now monthly memberships as well. On a personal note, I have been so inspired by this course that I want to do the RSPH Level 3 Award in Mental Health First Aid. I will continue with being present around the club and having that dedicated time with anyone, should they need me, along with advocating for the best environment to encourage good health, be it physical or mental. I will also continue to offer my support to our pilot scheme group, as we carry on in these new roles and opportunities for making a change in our community, whilst still being more than happy to offer a female perspective, and channel of support to our currently male group, for their clubs, should they need it.

What other things is Cainhoe Wood doing to ensure the club is safe, sustainable, inclusive and inspirational?

At Cainhoe Wood, we are committed to ensuring that our club is a safe community to be a part of. Of course we take our physical safety very seriously, like many we have first aiders and a defibrillator on site, however we aim to make sure we have a great welfare support for our community too. I’m also our club’s welfare officer, trained in safeguarding, with a few others trained in safeguarding too. We want to make sure our club remains a safe and supportive environment for all. With the addition of being a Mental Health First Aider now, I feel more equipped than ever to strive to make that difference, and offer the opportunity for support should anyone in this community need it.

To make golf more accessible, we have also revisited our membership pricing structure to welcome a wider group of players whilst offering a more flexible plan for our current members, especial in the current climate. We strive to be inclusive to all whilst keeping our motto of ‘great value for money’ at the forefront of what we do. We have a thriving women’s section and offer junior coaching programmes to encourage the next generation of golfers. Our junior section is a true community in itself.

We also have beginner coaching sessions running during peak season, making it easier for newcomers to get into the game. We are dedicated to fostering a family-friendly environment, where golfers of all ages feel comfortable and supported. Beyond golf, we offer a great range of events open to the public, such as our monthly quiz nights and our popular annual fireworks night, helping to bring the community together and create memorable experiences. We have supported local schools and children’s football clubs with sponsorship and their charity events.

Click here to take a look at the Fore Your Mind page to find a range of support and signposting to mental health resources, and see how your club can get involved.

Watched our latest video?