Some workers in the golf fraternity have had their income impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
Golf South Africa has launched a fund with the intention to offer relief to caddies and support staff amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Many sports organisations across the country have felt the financial pinch brought on by the inaction caused by the pandemic.
Golf South Africa looks out for its vulnerable members
A total of R1 million has been set aside Golf South Africa to help vulnerable personnel during the crisis.
Golf SA’s Grant Hepburn says some of the funds gave been sourced from the organisation’s savings.
“This is from the money that we have essentially saved through cancellations over the last few weeks and the months ahead but also through voluntary staff salary reductions.
We will first be focusing on trying to help those caddies and vulnerable workers that have not seen help because their clubs are slightly smaller or don’t have relief programmes. We feel that as a governing body we would like to put that money up front and start this fund and hopefully add to that fund to support golfers.”
How the lockdown has impacted the golf fraternity
Golf tournaments scheduled for the remainder of the year were cancelled earlier in the month, due to the increasing impact of the global pandemic.
This has left some in the golf fraternity with strained income due to lack of events during this period.
“Golf as an industry provides thousands of jobs. Just in the golf industry alone, with golf facilities, I’m talking about golf clubs, practice facilities over 40 000 people in those places are employed and one needs to consider the fact that probably 80% – 90% of those people employed in that environment are casual workers, people that are vulnerable members of society.
The majority of people in the industry are from that demographic of people that need help. They don’t have savings and they don’t have anything to fall back on.”
The funds will be distributed through unions.
Source: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/
