ENGLAND GOLF PARTNERSHIP PRESS RELEASE

Issued 11th February, 2013

Hertfordshire deaf golfer wins top volunteer award

Hertfordshire’s Kevin Whalley has been recognised as one of England’s top
volunteers for his contribution to deaf golf.

Kevin, who has been profoundly deaf since birth, won the men’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Services to Golf at the England Golf Partnership’s annual Volunteer of the Year Awards. It recognises his tremendous contribution to deaf golf, both in England and around the world.

Kevin, a member at Mill Green Golf Club, said: “It’s wonderful to receive this award after 30 years of volunteering and it is particularly special because it is recognition for deaf golf.

“I look forward to the challenges that deaf golf will bring in the future and to see the day when England Deaf Golf will be world champions.”

Kevin started organised deaf golf in England in the early 1980s and has run more than 100 events over the years. He became a director of the British Deaf Sports Council before becoming closely involved with the English Deaf Golf Association, of which he is currently president and treasurer.

He was the secretary and treasurer of World Deaf Golf Federation and organised the first World Deaf Golf Championship in 1995 at the Forest of Arden after seven years’ research to find countries with deaf golfers.

Kevin is a 12-handicapper and his hobbies include working on the Deaf Golf History and its website.

Other winners at the awards dinner at the County Golf Development Conference at Loughborough University were:

Charlotte Stanton of Staffordshire – Young Volunteer of the Year
Wendy Wootton of Suffolk – Club Development Award
Beverley Dodd of Lancashire – Volunteer Coach of the Year
Alan Covey of Sussex – County Development Award
Nickie Clarke of Norfolk – Lifetime Achievement Award for Services to Golf (female)

They were applauded by a packed conference hall made up of those leading the EGP’s vision to ‘Grow the Game’ through the County Golf Partnership structure.

Phil Beard, the EGP’s Volunteer Manager, said: “These volunteers are wonderful people who give up their time to inspire others to take up and enjoy golf. They play a crucial part in growing the game and these awards recognise and underline their importance.”

The national volunteering programme is delivered via the England Golf Partnership’s ‘Whole Sport Plan’ for golf and is an integral part of the England Golf Partnership’s vision to ‘Grow the Game’.

For more on volunteers and full details of all the award winners go to www.golfvolunteers.org.

Image of Kevin Whalley © Design & Print Service, Loughborough University

-ENDS-

For more information please contact:
Lyndsey Hewison
Press Officer
England Golf Partnership
07825 752 193
[email protected]

Editors’ notes
The England Golf Partnership is a partnership between the amateur governing body, England Golf, and the Professional Golfers’ Association, which works to grow the game with the support of the Golf Foundation and Sport England. The national volunteering programme is delivered via the EGP’s ‘Whole Sport Plan’ for golf, which identifies how the Partnership it will achieve its vision of making England the leading golf nation in the world by 2020.