Golf Clubs as Healthy Ageing/Research Hubs

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**Golf in Society CIC** **is driving a fast-growing social movement**We are innovatively and dynamically introducing the social/health/wellbeing benefits of golf to our ageing population_._Successfully applying Innovate UK funding, we've created a network of age-friendly golf venues, where families facing later-life challenges come together and enjoy a more active and supported life.With us, older people with diagnosed health conditions enjoy a renewed sense of purpose, enjoy the beautiful outdoors and meet new people. They discover how their local golf club can become an integral part of a happier/healthier life and their carers enjoy respite and support at the same time.Beneficiaries co-design services, timetables suit individuals and carers, and no prior golfing experience is necessary.**Golf Clubs reimagined/repurposed as Healthy Ageing/Research hubs**To date, 650+ older people and carers have benefitted from our sessions providing moderate exercise, mental stimulation, socialising and respite/support.By proving that golf is accessible, enjoyable, inclusive and available to older adults, we're breaking down traditional barriers and negative perceptions. This is evidenced by the fact that 50% of our beneficiaries had never played golf before (some had never even visited a golf club) and 70% progress to enjoy weekly golf at their local club.We will now dedicate two of our golf clubs as Research Hubs, to ultimately become innovation-driven Outpatient Clinics.By expanding this model, we will revolutionize how many older people engage and receive OT/PT and related services.To achieve this, we will expand on our work with Innovate UK, the NHS, social enterprises specialising in healthy ageing, and higher education/research partners; to learn from older people living specifically with frailty/dementia. The findings will help develop/improve our interventions further.**Our 'Golf Pathways' will lead to further innovation and significant scale-up**At the start of golf sessions, we will take key/baseline measurements of key health/strength indicators, including bone density, muscle and grip strength, balance and gait. Subsequent measurements will then help us develop evidence of 'what works' and demonstrate potential for scaling-up the right/best interventions.Research into frailty and dementia is hugely important because these are the two main causes of bed-blocking, hospital admissions and readmissions. Therefore, this pilot/project will also bring significant value to the NHS; addressing the care-crisis of 150,000+ unfilled care vacancies (and 29% staff turnover), costs associated with multiple/separate treatments, and enabling experts to build best practice into broader/legacy NHS/Social care services.