A generous golf club has chipped in a significant donation to help a major community service get back on course to deliver its important life skill programs for participants in the Mornington Peninsula region.  

In demonstrating its commitment to community inclusion, The National Golf Club donated $50,000 to community service provider genU for a raft of renovations to a new site at Langwarrin. 

When genU Participate moved in to the new location in 2023, the kitchen was too small to accommodate the usual number of participants taking part in the popular cooking programs, which promote vital independent life skills.

The National Golf Club’s generosity has funded a new training kitchen, with cooking programs now being served twice a day, up to five days a week, to participants hungry to grow their independent living skills. These can include cooking, shopping for recipe ingredients, setting tables and cleanliness and hygiene in the kitchen.  

The exciting upgrade also included a large servery window to replace the small one, which created more space for new kitchen cabinets, and new flooring was laid in the dining room.

genU CEO Clare Amies thanked The National Golf Club for its considerable donation after identifying the project as being worthy of support and making genU clients feel valued. 

Clare said as a profit-purpose organisation, genU shares a passion with The National Golf Club for creating genuinely inclusive communities. 

“We are grateful for the club’s tremendous support, allowing us to make improvements at our new site to greatly improve accessibility for our clients, and help give the facility a modern feel."

“We currently support 50 genU participants at Langwarrin to improve their living skills, grow their confidence and help them stayed connected to their community. 

“The renovations have given our participants a real boost, and they are delighted to be back in action in a kitchen they can become familiar working in and consider their own.

“We are pleased that we can now offer cooking programs to more participants than we were, due to the place restrictions in the previous kitchen.” 

The National Golf Club CEO Matthew Corby said the Club was proud to continue its partnership with genU to support the kitchen renovation project, further strengthening the Club’s commitment to community connection and inclusion. 

The National Golf Club provided two $25,000 donations across FY 23 and FY 24, with both contributions demonstrating a commitment to supporting genU’s transition away from its Long Island site and towards the development of new, fit-for-purpose infrastructure.

“Our contribution is intended to assist with that transition, and we’re proud to support the kitchen renovation project, which directly enhances genU’s ability to deliver services that change lives,” Mr Corby said.

Mr Corby said the ongoing partnership reflected the Club’s desire to support practical, community-driven outcomes and tangible benefits.

“We deeply respect the mission of genU and the work they do to empower individuals and build inclusive communities,” Mr Corby said. 

“The training kitchen plays a vital role in developing independent living and employment skills for genU clients.”

The Club is hopeful the partnership with genU evolves over time, with potential to explore shared opportunities in golf and employment that bring further benefit to genU clients.

“This is not just a one-off gesture – we see real value in continuing to build a relationship with genU.”  

“Whether through golf programs or employment opportunities, we’re committed to finding ways our organisations can connect in meaningful and lasting ways.”

Clare said the donation also facilitated an upgrade to a sensory room, with equipment to support sensory needs to learning and communication.