New charity helps develop children’s life skills through golf

A new Scottish education charity – which uses the legacy of Old and Young Tom Morris and Willie Park to teach children fundamental life skills – has been warmly welcomed by both the golfing and educational establishment.

Established in 2018, the Tommy’s Honour Education Trust was created to help support the advancement of education in children.

Its mission is to educate and empower children to learn from the legacy of the trio of Scottish golfing pioneers and the life skills, which they displayed to inspire them to achieve higher aspirations in their lives.

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It has been a long journey to arrive at where the Trust’s founder finds himself now. Being brought up in Whitburn, William Lumsden discovered through reading the book ‘Tommy’s Honour’ that Young Tommy Morris married a young lady by the name of Margaret Drinnen in the town in November 1874.

“Discovering my hometown’s link to the Morris family of St Andrews, which was totally unknown at the time, had a profound effect on me,” said Lumsden. “Through introducing this connection to the local primary school teachers, it became apparent that there was a general lack of awareness in our schooling with regards to the Scottish golfing pioneers and the contribution they made not only towards not only the game of golf but also in shaping Scotland’s cultural heritage.”

It soon became William’s passion to learn more about Young Tommy and what had driven him to seek a better life during a period when the cultural divide was inherently accepted.

By understanding the sacrifices and personal fortitude of these pioneers, William crafted a series of fun, engaging educational programmes for children that would help bridge an appreciable gap within the education sector.

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By introducing children to the key life-chapters and life skills displayed by Old Tom Morris, Young Tommy Morris of St Andrews and Willie Park of Musselburgh he realised that we can inspire society’s future and ensure that the legacies of our Scottish golfing pioneers remain ingrained as part of our children’s culture.

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In May 2018, the Trust received a donation of £56,000 pounds from Sheila Walker, the great-great-granddaughter of Tom Morris and who had readily accepted an offer to become an Honorary Trustee of the Charity.

“I have the utmost pleasure in giving my full support to your endeavours to educate, empower and inspire children through the Tommy’s Honour Education Trust,” said Mrs Walker, pictured above with Harry Cartmill, the chair of the Tommy’s Honour Education Trust. “Old Tom and Young Tommy would have thought this a most splendid idea.”

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Cartmill added: “There was a real sense of history as we stood outside Old Tom’s House adjacent to the 18th hole on the Old Course, which is of course named in his memory.

“I was honoured and delighted to receive this fantastic donation on behalf of the trust from Mrs Sheila Walker. This donation will allow the trust to bring Old Tom and Young Tommy’s legacy to a new generation and, through our educational programmes, inspire the future.”