Hi everyone,

It's been a lovely week off in Norfolk, but the fabulous sunshine we have had this week has definitely helped! Cam has enjoyed paddling in the Gorleston sea (still freezing cold I might add), Paul has loved the tranquility of the Broads and I have loved the thrills and spills at Pleasurewood Hills Theme Park in Suffolk. Woo Hoo!

However I can never stay away too long, I am far too busy to sunbathe and eat ice cream and go on funfair rides and build sand castles and....waaaaaaah!

Actually I love being back and I have lots to tell you about!

Firstly I would like to say a huge thank you to our Captain Azim. On Azim's Captain's Day, Paul ran a hit the green challenge on 13th tee and made over £200 for charity. Paul intended that the money would solely go to Azim's designated charity, Young Bristol. However I was bowled over when Azim told me he would like half of the money raised to go my charity, The Daisy Garland for children with life limiting epilepsy. I am sure that Daisy's mum Sara will be so pleased. They are a lovely family who now fund many ketogenic dietitians in the UK, helping to control seizures in children whose epilepsy simply doesn't respond to conventional treatment. Thanks so much to both Azim for such a wonderful gift, and to Sara Garland for all her support for myself and Camster.

What's been happening at the Academy?

If you read my newsletters regularly, you will know that I have been trying to organise another Get Into Golf Day following on from the success of our May event in Clifton. I have been fairly secretive about this new event so far, as I was unsure whether this would ever get permission. I do tend to come up with bonkers ideas and it's a miracle that many of these things do actually come about! I'm really grateful that people do tend to support and help us so I am really immensely lucky.

Now I can finally reveal that, after weeks of negotiations, The Paul Mitchell Golf Academy is heading for Get Into Golf Day (the sequel!) at..... wait for it, wait for it, wait for it....!! Cabot Circus! Woooooooo hooooooo! I cannot quite believe it myself, it has never been done there before. I was in talks initially with the management of The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, but the plan had been rejected due to the safety issues involved. However their management group, Space and People, who actually run almost all of the promotions at most of the major Bristol shopping outlets, also suggested they could possibly consider allowing us use of The Galleries shopping centre in Bristol town. I had a good conversation with a fantastic lady called Lynn Carmichael, who is a sales executive at Space and People, and I asked if the area outside Debenhams/BHS was free to use. This area has enormous visibility and high footfall, making it ideal to promote the cause.

Unfortunately I was told that the cost of hiring this area was £2000! Eek. Not to be deterred easily, I then asked whether the company had ever held free sporting events in an area of high footfall and we discussed the benefits of sport for children and adults and the inclusivity of golf. Golf is quite unique and available to everyone. Lynn asked what I could actually afford to contribute and all I have left is £100 from our Get Into Golf funding, following our last get into golf day. Lynn then took my plans away and submitted them to the management team at Space and People. Lynn also worked very hard with her managers to prove that what we are doing is so worthwhile to help fight childhood obesity, to promote an active lifestyle and to raise the esteem of special needs and disabled people. She has been incredible and I have valued her help greatly. I had an amazing call from her last week to tell me that due to my ideas and passion to grow the game, their management committee would accept the £100 for the pitch and the Paul Mitchell Golf Academy day was reborn!

I am really excited to think we will be introducing even more people to the game. Our Get Into golf Day will be on Tuesday 19th August 2014 at 9am until 3pm in the area of Broadmead and Cabot Circus where Debenhams and BHS meet. This is usually where the main christmas market is held. This event will again be FREE to all and everyone is welcome. I have again asked my wonderful press officer John Pajak to organise our publicity, and I hope once again to get this event featured in the newspaper.

The whole idea of Get Into Golf and becoming the official centre was to bring people back to the club to enjoy everything which Bristol and Clifton Golf Club has to offer. I truly believe that we have the best product in the area and I want to show the golf club off! We are blessed with an awesome golf course, tended beautifully by Matt. We have great clubhouse staff and food. Our committees are well run and working hard to make this place the best. We have a fantastic driving range, chipping green, putting green, and an academy who loves working for the club. Best of all though, and this tops everything else I have just said, we have our members. Our golf club is the most prestigious and historic place, but it can only be truly be great if filled with great people. And you all are.

We have had a few new attendees for our Junior Golf Passport over the last few weeks. I hope to hold another Tri golf festival again next year, and have been asked to provide some more coaching for juniors in September in local authority provisions. This makes me really proud because these are schools which don't have lots of money and they exist on small budgets. I am honoured to be asked to provide my wonderful coaching team to help out!

I also had a lovely surprise from the sister of one of our new Junior Golf Passport attendees last weekend. There was a little knock on my office door and in came little Lucy Poland. Lucy came to the passport session which I helped out at a couple of weeks ago with Kris. She had been sitting under the tree at the chipping green making something with what I now realise is a band loom, whilst she waited for her big brother Harry to finish the session. Lucy had a little present for me....she had made the loom band bracelet for me! I was choked up I can tell you. When I get little presents from the children, or a thank you card arrives in the post, it makes everything worthwhile. I have the best job in the world, I really do.

Disabled Golf

Our very first Disabled Golf session took place on Tuesday 8th, when eight pupils with low functioning autistic spectrum disorders from Kingsweston school and two people with Down's syndrome from SilvaCare joined my team for an hour to learn the basics and actually have some fun. I have been to many events which are run for disabled children, but this group of sessions was actually open to older people as well and we had a mixture of ages at this group from 16 to 30. I did not want to limit what was on offer, as there are so very few events which can really stimulate and support inclusivity in all ages. Our doors at the Paul Mitchell Golf Academy are open to absolutely anyone who wants to come and try golf in a fun way and actually enjoy themselves. I am so grateful for the support of the club in allowing us to use and hog the facilities!

I can honestly say that it is a pleasure to stand back and see people like my Cam be included. We are all the same and deserve the same rights and pleasures, and those who came along certainly seemed to enjoy themselves. I also thank my team for their support. It's ok to come up with ideas and organise these events but you have to have the support of a good bunch of guys and I'm lucky enough to have that. Boys you make me proud, thank you.

So I'm officially excited for the next few months will certainly not be boring!

Have a sooper dooper week y'all