Nicola Bennett becomes a Golf Foundation Ambassador

Nicola Bennett is aiming to help inspire young people from all backgrounds into golf after being announced as a new official ambassador for the Golf Foundation.

The London-based PGA Trainee Professional has a stated desire to make golf more inclusive, and the Golf Foundation is delighted to team up with Bennett, who can help inspire more new young players, including youngsters from ethnically diverse communities.

Bennett said: “I’m excited to be working with the Golf Foundation as I am passionate about creating golf experiences for young people from all backgrounds. The support of HSBC through the ‘Golf Roots’ programme is incredible and I can’t wait to help deliver these opportunities.”

Bennett's first assignment for the national golf charity reflects her desire to reach out to young people in the same area of London where she grew up. She made a much-anticipated visit to Valence Primary School in Dagenham to help promote the Golf Foundation’s HSBC Golf Roots programme which aims to give a first go at golf to two million young people over the next five years.

Chris Jenkins, the PGA Advanced Professional from nearby Crowlands Golf Centre, not only has a direct link with Valence Primary through his Golf Foundation work, but was also Bennett's first regular coach.

The pair reunited for a special session to inspire new young golfers from this area of London, just what the Golf Foundation team is looking to do more of to make the game more inclusive.

Bennett has competed in Women’s Professional Golfers’ Association (WPGA) events, the LET Access Series, and last summer in the Rose Series. Her next aim is to secure her card for the Ladies European Tour. On social media, she is fast becoming an advocate for diversity and inclusion in golf and across wider sport.

She joins fellow Golf Foundation female Ambassadors Meghan MacLaren and Felicity Johnson, both Ladies European Tour players who have shown great support for the charity over the last 18 months.

Brendon Pyle, Chief Executive of the Golf Foundation, added: “We are thrilled that Nicola has agreed to become an Ambassador for this charity. We have known for some time of Nicola’s coaching work at her club and her emergence as a competitive professional player, but we were delighted to hear that Nicola has also been reaching out to local schools to introduce children to golf, and that she is now really keen to take this work on wearing a Golf Foundation team shirt.”

“Nicola is a hugely positive person and we have seen that she wants to share her love of the game with young people from all backgrounds, which will only help us as we seek more partners to start to make golf more truly inclusive. Having discussed Nicola’s professional aims and how they align with the values of our charity, we have no doubt she will be an outstanding Ambassador for the Golf Foundation.”

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