A group of volunteers are helping Wales Golf make better decisions by sharing their living experiences.
Three years ago, Wales Golf set up its Living Experience Network – a group of volunteers from different backgrounds who help shape the organisation’s work.
Acting as a sounding board, members advise on decisions, challenge assumptions, and hold the organisation to account.
They’re helping Wales Golf to understand what golf looks like for people from different backgrounds and making sure their voices are heard when decisions are made.
Listening before making decisions
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is one of the organisation’s core values. But they don’t pretend to know it all. With Wales Golf’s strategy to make golf “Everyone’s Game”, they needed everyone’s voices to make that happen.
The Living Experience Network helps Wales Golf understand barriers people face and provides honest feedback on whether its plans will work in practice.
Just as importantly, the group helps staff avoid working in a bubble by bringing different perspectives into discussions.
We knew we couldn’t achieve our ambition of making golf everyone's game by making decisions on behalf of people. We needed people with living experiences around the table to challenge us, tell us when we'd got things wrong and help us create a more welcoming sport
The Living Experience Network
It is called the Living Experience Network, rather than the Lived Experience Network. Wales Golf are keen to recognise that the experiences of these volunteers haven’t just happened in the past. They are happening right now.
The network includes 15 volunteers from a range of different backgrounds and experiences to make sure the voices of different groups are represented. This includes:
- disabled people or those with a long-term health condition
- neurodivergent people
- LGBTQIA+ people
- Welsh language speaker
- women and girls
- people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds
- young people (18-25)
- players and coaches
- parents and carers
- people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
One of those volunteers is Jules Twells. She joined the Living Experience Network because she’s passionate about making golf more welcoming to under-represented groups.
I want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy the game I love. Being part of the Living Experience Network has given me the chance to share my experiences and help shape decisions that affect people like me and those that are underrepresented in the game.
"Our living experiences bring voices into the room that might otherwise be missing. Knowing those experiences are helping shape the future of golf in Wales makes being part of the network rewarding
The difference they've made
Drawing on their own unique experiences, the group meets every three months to review policies, programmes, action plans, training materials and other areas of work.
Their role is not simply to comment on decisions that have already been made. They help influence thinking before those decisions are taken.
The network has helped Wales Golf to:
- review and shape its EDI action plan.
- inform policies on Welsh language and transgender inclusion.
- strengthen disability inclusion training.
- develop resources to help women overcome barriers to taking part in golf.
The value of this input became clear when Wales Golf developed disability inclusion training.
Wales Golf would strongly recommend this kind of network to other sports organisations:
The Living Experience Network have influenced so much of our work in a really positive way.
“Before we launched disability inclusion training with the organisation, we reviewed the content with the group. They challenged our thinking and brought new perspectives to the discussion.
“We came away from that meeting with two pages of feedback, and their suggestions significantly improved the final training. Having the group as a sounding board was invaluable
Volunteers can be more than club reps and coaches
When people think about sports volunteers, they may picture coaches, officials or committee members. But the Living Experience Network shows volunteers can play their part beyond just delivering sport.
They can be a voice at the table, shaping policies, training, and decisions that will impact them.
Wales Golf recognise the important contribution these volunteers make. Alongside regular online meetings, the network meets in person each year so the organisation can show their appreciation and make the group feel valued for the expertise they give.
Every organisation will need to find an approach that works for them, but the principle is simple: listen to the people you want your sport to welcome.
For Wales Golf, the biggest lesson has been that inclusion cannot be designed for people without involving them. Creating a space where people can share their experiences, challenge thinking and influence decisions has helped the organisation make better choices and create a more welcoming sport.