Fawley (19 July 2007) -- Young golfers are benefiting from additional professional coaching sessions, thanks to a substantial grant, which will buy in the expertise of experienced coaching staff.

The Bramshott Hill Golf Club, Junior Section, based at Dibden Golf Centre, has received a donation of £1,000 from Esso and ExxonMobil Chemical at Fawley. The money is being used to pay for professional coaching sessions for the junior players at the club.

The club is also in the process of setting up a Tiger Club for very young novice players. Some of the money will go towards fees on the 9 hole academy course at Dibden and developmental coaching that will improve the novices’ games to a level where they can then join the main section, on the 18 hole course.

The grant has been donated under a special scheme designed to recognise the efforts of ExxonMobil employees and their families who contribute their time, talent and energy to schools, charities and non-profit making organisations. The scheme not only helps local organisations, but also improves the links between ExxonMobil and the local community.

The grant applicant is Simon Nunn, chairperson of the Junior Section of the Club and a Process Leader at the refinery. He said: “Taking up golf is so much more than just learning a game. It teaches important life skills, as well. This grant is excellent news for the club and will allow us to take that next step. With this grant we will be able to develop the older and better players to their full potential and encourage new players to develop skills which they can enjoy for the rest of their lives. Golf is very popular among ladies but nationally there is a struggle to attract girls into the sport. With this grant, we plan to create a programme with schools, which we hope will help encourage boys and girls to give the game a try.”

The club currently has 45 members but this usually rises to over 50 during the summer months. It takes some members from the junior coaching sessions run by the professional coaches at Dibden on a Saturday morning and then introduces them to a development programme with coaching and competitions for all levels.

The ExxonMobil Volunteer Involvement Programme at Fawley, together with its sister scheme for school governors, has so far contributed more than £300,000 to local community projects since it was started four years ago.