Scottish golf pros receive FSA funding

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has agreed to provide £20,000 of funding to golf professionals to teach food hygiene as part of their lessons to children.

The money will predominantly go to PGA-qualified coaches in Scotland, who will talk about the importance of food hygiene and healthy eating. Without the money some pupils would not be taught golf, while the deal also benefits the FSA as it believes children are more likely to listen to sporting role models.

The funding has come about through a joint initiative being delivered in schools by ClubGolf, Scotland’s national junior golf programme, and the FSA.

Primary 5 children within specified local authority areas are being targeted through a series of ClubGolf lessons incorporating an FSA theme, which will be taught over the next three years.

The target number of sessions for each school will be six, with the training of class teachers and coaches being undertaken if required.

As well as delivering the messages of nutrition and cleanliness, it is hoped the lessons will lead to strategic links with the community, such as children engaging with their local golf club.

Areas in which the ClubGolf/FSA project will be delivered include: Mid Lothian; West Lothian; Edinburgh; Moray; North Ayrshire; Dundee; South Lanarkshire; West Dunbartonshire; East Dunbartonshire and the Western Isles.

Over £20,000 per year has been contributed by FSA to help fund time with PGA-qualified coaches and for purchasing short course equipment to ensure the continued delivery of golf in schools.

“This is the second year that we have run the FSA project in conjunction with ClubGolf,” said ClubGolf’s Central Scotland regional manager Mandy Martin, who has been pivotal in establishing the initiative.

“I approached FSA in 2012 to see if they would be keen to work with us as partners, knowing that we targeted thousands of P5 pupils each year. They were more than happy to support both financially and with resources, and this year confirmed funding for three years for 2,000 pupils per year.

“The funding is helping us to deliver ClubGolf in schools, which have not engaged before or are struggling to deliver due to resources. The targeted schools receive a bag of equipment and a series of six coaching sessions, which include six distinctive food hygiene and healthy lifestyle messages, delivered by PGA-qualified coaches.

“The benefit to the pupils is that they are getting this opportunity to play golf at school and move into club programmes at local facilities, an opportunity that may not have been afforded to them without the input of the FSA programme and ClubGolf coaching.”

Each coaching session has been designed to last between 45 minutes to one hour. Class teachers have been asked to observe and support each session with a view to them delivering the programme in future years and to deal with any issues. Class teachers will also be active in delivering six classroom lessons designed to mirror practical sessions in the message they seek to convey.

These lessons are part of the HHEAPS Initiative (Hygiene, Healthy Eating and Activity in Primary Schools), developed by FSA Scotland to raise children’s awareness of the benefits of food hygiene, healthy eating and physical activity.

In the practical classes, the professional uses laminated cards to ask children questions about food hygiene and healthy eating. The weekly topics link directly to the classroom-based work ‘mission book’ which the pupils will do with their teacher.

Charles Milne, director of the Food Standards Agency in Scotland, said: “The HHEAPS initiative has developed into a highly respected and successful resource delivering food hygiene, healthy eating and activity messages to primary school children all over Scotland.

“The concept of using role models, such as sports coaches from our key sports partnerships, has proved to be a powerful one.  We were delighted in 2012 when Clubgolf and the Camanachd Association joined us in the HHEAPS initiative and, as of March 2013, they will have helped us deliver the programme to over 90,000 pupils in Scotland.”

Melville Golf Centre PGA Professional Ryan Scott, who has been delivering the FSA message in conjunction with ClubGolf at Canal View Primary School in Edinburgh, explained the benefits of the coaching.

He said: “The FSA teaching is a different theme per week, so we have gone through hygiene and into the foods that you should and shouldn’t eat. If these kids can start eating the right foods at an early age, hopefully that will be taken into their adult life.
“It seems like they are really enjoying it. If I can have any impact on a child’s life through this project, even if they go away and play golf or if, at least, they know more about golf then that is a major triumph.

“If the kids are not having fun there is a good chance there is no chance they will continue golf outwith school. So, if we can continue to make things fun, there is good opportunity they will play golf in the future. That also applies with the way we try to deliver the FSA message.

“It is just as important to eat the right things when playing golf as it is when playing football or rugby. Today, the perception of golfers, because of the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, has changed. Golfers are much more athletic than they used to be. Hopefully this also helps the message get through that kids should eat well if they want to play golf.”