Press Release: Wirral Ladies’ Golf Club Makes Historic Appointments
Wirral Ladies’ Golf Club has reached a significant milestone in its long history. Since the club’s inauguration in 1894 the club captain has always been a lady. In order to comply with the 2010 Equality Act and after lengthy consultation with the membership the club has voted to appoint joint captains, one of each gender, for 2013 and subsequent years. The two captains elect who will be confirmed in office at the next AGM in March are Mr John Hughes and Mrs Janet Mills.
The 1894 articles of association of the club dictated that committee members should be all female and that structure remained in place until the late 1990’s. Men members were then given the vote and consequently they have been able to serve on all committees. More recent equality changes have allowed male members to stand for election as chairman of various committees and three years ago the first male chairman of the Management Committee was appointed.
Wirral Ladies’ has been a genuine mixed gender golf club for many years with both men and women enjoying equal access to the course. The club continues to promote itself as a friendly club providing opportunities for golfers of all ages and abilities. The delightful heathland course has been independently portrayed as “a hidden golfing gem” and Club Manager Peter Greville describes it as “a short, but challenging course that requires accuracy in order to score well”. Nevertheless, it is an ideal course upon which both established golfers and newcomers can develop their skills.
In 2012 the club became the first on the Wirral to achieve the Golf Mark accreditation and Cheshire County Development Officer Craig Thomas said “Wirral Ladies’ is a well established club which has already worked hard to introduce people of all ages to golf. The Golf Mark achievement now allows the club to build on that success. It is good to see such a long standing organisation taking a proactive approach to the future and laying down plans to encourage the next generation of golfers.”
The members are very mindful of the great traditions of Wirral Ladies’ Golf Club but this historic change to appoint joint male and female club captains further demonstrates the club’s ability to adapt and move forward.
