AFRIYEA founder promotes conservation culture at The Open

31 July 2024

Isaiah Mwesige was at Royal Troon as he continued to spread the word for sustainability in golf.

Founder of Uganda’s AFRIYEA Golf Academy, Isaiah Mwesige, was invited to attend Royal Troon Golf Club for the 152^nd Open Championship as an advocate of sustainability in golf. The Academy has gained international recognition for its approach to education in East Africa, specifically around golf and sustainability, resulting in Isaiah featuring on Sky during the live coverage on Saturday.

“Golf and sustainability go hand in hand at AFRIYEA,” explains Isaiah. “We ensure that conservation is part of the culture here, and I truly believe that every golfer and every golf club should take the same approach. As well as educating our young golfers about sustainable practices, we also run projects that the community can get involved in such as tree planting and clean-up operations. These benefit everyone.”

Speaking to Sky presenters Josh Antmann and Henni Koyack, Isaiah explained how investing in grassroots golf sustainability initiatives has brought the community closer together and has made golf more accessible for youngsters in the region. This in turn enables the coaches to deliver essential education and life skills to children who otherwise would miss out this essential learning.

In acknowledgement of the significant impact that AFRIYEA has on people in Uganda the Academy has recently become the golf development partner of the Ugandan Golf Federation. This positions AFRIYEA at the heart of the sport in the region, but in order to continue its community work the Academy requires outside investment.

“We want people and businesses to partner with us and invest in the children we teach,” explains Isaiah. “We have no outside funding and rely on volunteers. As little as £10 can help a kid in the academy to learn golf, gain life skills and learn about sustainability. Our donations are administrated by an incredible UK-based charity called AFRINSPIRE which supports African-led initiatives in development and poverty reduction in East Africa.”

To find out more about AFRINSPIRE or support a young person in Ugandan simply visit https://www.afrinspire.org.uk/donate

By GCMA Content Team

More from Your Community

GCMA Teams Up with 59Club as an Official Education Partner

5 Dec 2025By Mark Shanley

Press Release The Golf Club Managers Association (GCMA) is delighted…

Announcing the Winners of the 2025 Women in Golf Awards

4 Dec 2025By Mark Shanley

The Women in Golf Awards announced its 2025 winners at…

‘Governance is key’ — David Holmes

3 Dec 2025By GCMA Content Team

Drawing on over two decades of experience, David Holmes shares…

John Steele

John Steele is a former professional athlete, sports coach, Olympic Leader and is the Executive Director of Sport at Loughborough University. He has been Chief Executive across a range of sectors. Drawing on leadership experience of nine different Olympic and Paralympic Games (including the amazing events at the Rio Games), John reflects on the lessons from this unique period in British sport and relays his fascinating views on creating high performing teams.

Indeed, inspired from PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, by the most successful performance ever for Team GB, he has a whole host of new business and leadership insights into how this was brilliant performance was achieved and how it can translate back into your organisation.

John moved into the corporate world, before he enjoyed an outstanding career as a professional rugby player achieving international honours. After his playing career, he turned his hand to coaching and achieved the highest accolade for a British club coach by winning the European Cup with Northampton Saints. He then became Executive Director on the Saints Board during a period of unprecedented growth, and served on the England Rugby Board during the successful world cup campaign of 2003. It was no surprise that John’s talents were called upon to drive through a change and modernisation programme as CEO of the Rugby Football Union – a challenge that became controversial and ended in his departure from the post after only a year, but with his dignity and professional pride intact.

Headhunted by UK Sport, John took up post as CEO the day before London won the 2012 Olympic bid – and this promising start was sustained as he embarked on developing the UK’s high performance sport system, which he led for a six-year period of unprecedented success through the Beijing and London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Post-London 2012, with the Olympic legacy in place and an obligation to continue inspiring a generation, John took up his post as Group Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust. He has also succeeded Steve Cram as Chairman of the English Institute of Sport, an organisation described as ‘the team behind the team’, which delivers a range of performance impacting solutions to over 40 Olympic and Paralympic sports and some non-Olympic sports.

This will close in 0 seconds

Dr Jo Salter MBE

Dr Jo Salter MBE is famed for becoming the first female fast jet pilot, having flown the Panavia Tornado ground attack aircraft during her services in the Royal Air Force. Joining the RAF aged 18, Jo has since taken Air Cadets into the skies as part of Air Experience Flights, become the Director of Global Transformative Leadership for PWC, and most recently become a Global Advisory of GenAI for PwC.

Jo has piloted flights in the Air Cadets Air Experience Flights and inspired countless budding armed service members to pioneer a male-dominated sector, having been the leader of an all-male squadron. Since leaving the military behind, Jo has established a strong business career working in roles such as Head of Technical Services for NetConnect, European Operations Manager for Automated Power Exchange and Managing Director of Saltin Ltd.

Having developed first-class expertise in leadership, analytical thinking and performing under pressure, Jo is now a highly sought-after public speaker to share stories from her time in the skies.

Jo is a passionate Trustee of The Royal Air Force Club and an Ambassador of the Global Angels charity, an organisation that gives communities around the world access to clean water, education, healthcare and encourages female and youth empowerment. Jo has also authored two books, titled Energy: 52 Ways to Fire Up Your Life and Become an Energy Angel and Energize: Spring Clean Your Mind and Body to Get Your Bounce Back Today and Every Day.

In recognition of her achievements throughout her career, Jo has also been named as one of the 50 Most Inspiring Women in the World by Harpers & Queen. She is now working as the Director of Global Transformation Leadership at PWC, after working in other roles such as Director of Risk Technology Strategy, Director Chief of Staff to Head of Technology & Investments and the Director of People & Organisations.

In 2022, Jo was invited personally by Tom Cruise to attend the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick. Most recently, Jo received an honorary doctorate of Arts from Bournemouth University.