Don't discard but donate your old clubs

The blessed month of Ramadan is a month of generosity, sharing and giving, among other things. It is also the month Islam reaches out to charity.Many leading institutions and companies launched fund-raising campaigns in August to raise awareness and monetary funds for causes in the UAE through different platforms.

Wherever you go, you feel the love - but what is the golfing community doing for charity? Maybe, the odd fund-raising golf tournament here and there?

Everywhere, you see collection points where one can donate good quality unused items, and I'm wondering what happens to all the unused golf clubs that we constantly replace with new technology.

Why not encourage golfers to ‘club' together and get more less fortunate people into golf by donating their good quality old or unused clubs. Golf clubs that are taking up space in your home can be put to good use, by recycling to organisations that distribute them around the country or even around the globe such as the National Alliance for Youth, a non-profit association that accepts donated sporting goods and distributes to third world countries. I am not aware of any such association in the UAE?

This is an honourable way to make an impact on someone else's life, as you are giving another person the means to participate in an activity they already love to do or in other cases, to begin playing a fun, family-oriented sport.

Children's charities always welcome donations of sports equipment. Sports provide an outlet to children who otherwise suffer from the misfortune of living a less-than-privileged life, but many cannot afford the cost of playing. According to research, only 25 per cent of underprivileged children are able to participate in sports. The importance of sports for children lies in the ability to provide an environment that teaches the importance of teamwork, provides physical fitness and improves self-confidence. Donating equipment allows more kids to experience the benefits of participating in sports, such as golf.

I've listed a few tips on how to make your donation:

Select an organisation to which you would like to donate your equipment. If you want to make sure your donation is used locally, contact local schools and ask whether a donation could support their recreational and athletic programmes. When localities are forced to make budgets cuts, often sports programmes are cancelled or suffer from under-funding.

Ask about the charity's donation process, such as whether the charity will pick up donations or whether you must drop them off. Most charities deal with specific causes, find out who benefits from the donations and ask them to provide you with detailed information as to how your donation will be used.

Clean your equipment prior to donating it. Equipment must not have excessive wear and tear, must be clean and undamaged. Damaged equipment is not accepted by any charity due to safety concerns.

Deliver the equipment to your donor. Make your donation during regular business hours so that you can ensure receipt of the items by appropriate personnel.

I would like to hear from anyone who does know of a local charity organisation that accepts and distributes sports equipment, and golf clubs in particular. (e-mail: info@womensgolfme.com)

Donate an old club and make a new golfer!