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  • If life's at risk When there's immediate danger to life. Call 999
  • Samaritans Free to call, any time, for anyone struggling. Call 116 123
  • Prefer to text? Free and confidential, any time. Text SHOUT to 85258
  • NHS 111 in England and Wales Choose option 2 for mental health. Free, 24 hours a day. Call 111
  • NHS 24 in Scotland Choose the mental health option. Free, 24 hours a day. Call 111
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Ten steps to a mentally healthier golf club

Ten practical steps to help your club support good mental health. Start wherever suits your club.

The ten steps are practical actions any golf club can take to support the mental health of its members, staff and volunteers. They cover three things: setting up the foundations, like getting the committee on board and agreeing a policy; knowing how to help when someone needs it; and the everyday things that help people feel well and connected.

Each step explains why it matters, what good looks like and where to start, with free templates and guides to help. Clubs can work through the steps in any order and at their own pace, whatever their size.

Steps 1 to 3

Setting up the foundations

  1. 1Get your club's leadership on boardThe people who run the club agree that mental health matters, and commit to working through these steps.
  2. 2Choose who will lead your club's mental health workGive your club's mental health work clear owners.
  3. 3Include mental health in your club policiesMake your club's commitment to mental health part of how the club is run.
Steps 4 to 6

Knowing how to help when someone needs it

  1. 4Have a response plan for when someone needs helpMake sure everyone at your club knows what to do, and who to involve, when someone needs help.
  2. 5Know where to point people for supportMake sure everyone at your club knows where to find support, for themselves or for someone else.
  3. 6Train your staff and volunteersGive the people in club roles the knowledge and confidence to support someone who needs help.
Steps 7 to 10

Supporting good mental health every day

  1. 7Help golfers look after their mental healthHelp golfers build everyday habits that support how they feel, on and off the course.
  2. 8Make mental health part of your club communicationsTalk about mental health as a normal part of how your club communicates, all year round.
  3. 9Make the club a healthy place to work and volunteerLook after the wellbeing of the people who keep your club running.
  4. 10Build connection and belongingHelp everyone at your club feel welcome, connected and part of the club.
  1. Every year: check, plan and reportTake the Club Check, choose two or three priorities, and share your progress with the committee and at the AGM.

Where to start

If you're not sure where to begin, the Club Check will point you in the right direction. Otherwise, many clubs start with steps 1, 2, 4 and 5. Getting the leadership on board and choosing who will lead makes everything else easier. A response plan and a support list mean your club knows what to do if someone needs help.

  1. 1Get your club's leadership on board
  2. 2Choose who will lead your club's mental health work
  3. 4Have a response plan for when someone needs help
  4. 5Know where to point people for support

How we built these steps

The ten steps are evidence-informed, drawing on established guidance on mental health in workplaces and communities, adapted for golf clubs. This isn't proof that the Florio approach is effective or an endorsement by the organisations below. They draw on:

  • Thriving at Work, the independent review of mental health and employers
  • BS 30480:2025, guidance on suicide prevention, intervention and support for people affected by suicide in the workplace
  • ISO 45003:2021, guidance on managing psychosocial risks at work
  • NICE guideline NG212 on mental wellbeing at work
  • HSE's Management Standards for work-related stress
  • Acas guidance on mental health at work
  • Mind's guidance for employers
  • On Your Side, from Chasing the Stigma and The Royal Foundation
  • Samaritans' media guidelines on suicide

Support along the way

Every step can be done for free using this toolkit. Clubs that want more support can join the Florio Partner Club programme for £200 a year, about £17 a month. Partner Clubs get training, ready-made campaigns, printed materials and resources tailored to their club.

Find out about the Partner Club programme

Take the Florio Club Check

A short set of questions that shows what your club is already doing well and which steps to focus on next. It's free, and you can take it at any time, as often as you like.

Take the Club Check

These ten steps are what clubs commit to when they make the free Florio Club Commitment.

Commit to working through them at your own pace, and join a growing movement across the golf community to improve mental health in the game.

Make the commitment

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Need help now?

  • If life's at risk When there's immediate danger to life. Call 999
  • Samaritans Free to call, any time, for anyone struggling. Call 116 123
  • Prefer to text? Free and confidential, any time. Text SHOUT to 85258
  • NHS 111 in England and Wales Choose option 2 for mental health. Free, 24 hours a day. Call 111
  • NHS 24 in Scotland Choose the mental health option. Free, 24 hours a day. Call 111
Get help