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  • 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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Back to Steps for your club

Train your staff and volunteers

Give the people in club roles the knowledge and confidence to support someone who needs help.

This step is about giving staff, volunteers and people in support roles the knowledge and confidence to notice when someone may need support, have a conversation and know what to do next. It means that when someone at your club needs support, the people around them feel ready to help.

Jump to the game plan

Why it matters

  1. People already turn to them.

    Members see the same faces week after week, and staff and volunteers get to know the people around them. That can make them people others trust and turn to.

  2. Confidence makes the difference.

    When someone at your club needs support, the people around them feel ready to help.

  3. Everyone knows where their role ends.

    People feel confident having these conversations, and know where their role ends.

What good looks like

  • Everyone in a club role knows how to notice when someone may be finding things hard, start a conversation and point them to support.

  • Everyone in a club role knows the club's response plan and support list.

  • People in support roles have training suited to their role.

  • Managers and committee members know how to support the wellbeing of the staff and volunteers they look after.

  • People feel confident having these conversations, and know where their role ends.

  • Training is part of inductions and refreshed regularly.

Recommended training

What someone needs depends on their role. Here's what we recommend for each.

Included with Partner Club, £200 a year

Everyone in a club role

The Florio learning library

Short online courses and guides written for golf clubs, for everyone from the bar to the boardroom. People work through them in their own time, on their phone or computer, and everyone at your club can use it.

Find out about Partner Club  

  • Everyone at your club

    Noticing when someone's struggling, starting the conversation and finding support.

  • Mental Health Leads and First Aiders

    Boundaries, confidentiality and responding to concerns about suicide.

  • General managers

    Supporting staff through pressure, absence and bereavement.

  • Committee members

    The committee's role, and looking out for your staff and GM.

Not a Partner Club yet? The free courses below are a good place to start.

  • Mental Health Lead

    Suicide awareness training

    The Mental Health Lead also benefits from suicide awareness training. This helps them talk about suicide directly and safely, and know what to do if someone is at risk. Free online options are listed below.

  • Welfare officer

    SafeGolf safeguarding training

    Welfare officers complete the safeguarding training required under SafeGolf. Mental health training adds how to support someone who is finding things hard. The two cover different things, and each is needed.

  • Managers and committee members

    Training in supporting wellbeing at work

    People who manage staff or coordinate volunteers benefit from extra training in supporting people at work. This covers how to:

    • Have supportive conversations
    • Spot and reduce pressure at work
    • Make reasonable adjustments
    • Support someone who is off work or returning to work

    Step 9 covers this in more detail.

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid is a recognised training course that teaches people to spot the signs that someone may be experiencing a mental health issue, listen without judgement, and guide them to the right support. People who complete it become Mental Health First Aiders.

The standard course takes two days, or can be spread across shorter sessions, and is run by licensed instructors in person or online. Certificates are valid for three years, after which a refresher course is recommended.

Mental Health First Aiders aren't therapists or counsellors. Their role is to listen and help someone find support, in the same way a physical first aider helps until further help arrives. Having a Mental Health First Aider is optional, but it gives your club someone with more in-depth training that people can go to.

Find a Mental Health First Aid course  

Clubs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can find equivalent courses in their nation.

Free training to explore

These free online courses are a good way for anyone at your club to build their knowledge, in their own time.

FREESuicide awareness trainingFrom the Zero Suicide Alliance. A short online course on recognising when someone may be at risk of suicide, talking to them about it and helping them find support. Recommended for people in support roles.FREEMental Health Awareness for Sport and Physical Activity+From Mind, Sport England and UK Coaching. An online course on mental health in a sport setting, and how coaches, staff and volunteers can support people. Particularly relevant to coaches.

Choosing other training

If you're looking at other training, check that it:

  • comes from an established provider

  • is developed or reviewed by people with clinical expertise

  • follows safe messaging guidelines on suicide

  • is practical, with time to practise conversations

  • is suited to the role of the person taking it

Making it work at your club

Many people at golf clubs are part-time, seasonal or volunteering in their spare time. Training is more likely to happen if it fits around that.

  • Use time that already exists, such as staff meetings, committee meetings or the start of the season.

  • Include it in inductions for new staff and volunteers.

  • Offer online options people can complete in their own time.

  • Brief seasonal staff when they start.

  • Keep a simple record of who has completed what, and when it's due again.

Keeping it going

Skills fade and procedures change. Refresh training every year or two, and make sure everyone hears whenever your response plan or support list changes.

A clubhouse seen from the course

Start with

Get everyone in a club role started on some basic mental health training.

Going further

  • Add training to inductions

    For new staff and volunteers.

  • Suicide awareness training

    For people in support roles.

  • Train a Mental Health First Aider

    Optional. People in support roles need training suited to their role.

  • Train managers and committee members

    In supporting wellbeing at work.

  • Keep a training record

    And set reminders for refreshers.

Resources for this step

Florio club briefing, with slides and speaker notesFreePackComing soon
Training recordFreeTemplateComing soon
Self-paced online training for staff and volunteers on pointing people to the right support, and on supporting someone who's finding things hardPartner ClubAccess to Florio's in-person training sessionsPartner ClubTraining for managers and committee members on supporting wellbeing at workPartner ClubThe Florio learning library: practical guides and tools on looking after yourself and the people around youPartner Club

Sources Zero Suicide Alliance: suicide awareness training · UK Coaching: Mental Health Awareness for Sport and Physical Activity+

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

Need help now?

If life's at risk Call 999

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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