Golf In Society is transforming golf clubs into community health hubs that support carers, older adults, and local communities.
By using golf’s welcoming environment, it helps tackle issues like ageing, frailty and dementia, while strengthening community connections and promoting well-being.
We partnered with Golf In Society to co-design a service that meets the needs of users, their families and partners. Our phased approach emphasised stakeholder engagement to ensure a user-centred design.
Together, we explored the challenges facing older adults and their carers, identified opportunities to improve services, and co-created innovative solutions tailored to real-world needs.
In the first phase, we brought together carers, healthcare professionals and golf club representatives through co-design workshops. Key activities included:
Building on Phase 1 insights, we collaboratively developed a service blueprint, refining it with stakeholder input. Sub-groups focused on areas like marketing and activity planning. The blueprint envisioned golf clubs as welcoming, inclusive spaces offering:
The service was piloted in collaboration with stakeholders, with golf clubs hosting activities designed to enhance mental and physical health while supporting carers and their loved ones.
In the final phase, data collection and impact evaluation revealed transformative outcomes, including:
This project showcased the power of co-design in repurposing traditional spaces to meet evolving community needs.
By engaging stakeholders throughout the process, Golf In Society successfully created a collaborative model that promotes healthy ageing, eases pressure on social care, and strengthens community ties.
The initiative is a testament to how listening to users and fostering collaboration can lead to sustainable, impactful solutions to societal challenges.
