Support for families

Under the policy, employees of The Bridgedown Group will be supported to take leave from work to be present in hospital when their child is seriously ill. This includes job protection and financial security during what is often the most traumatic period of a family’s life.

The Bridgedown Group owns The Shire London, The Inspiration, The West London Golf Centre and the upcoming Legacy Club.

The story behind Hugh’s Law

Hugh’s Law is the result of more than three years of campaigning by Ceri Menai Davis, Director of The Bridgedown Group, following the death of his son Hugh in 2021. Hugh was six years old and had spent ten months battling a rare form of cancer.

Ceri Menai Davis, a former recipient of the PGA Tony Sunderland Award, has since led a national campaign calling for statutory protections for working parents when a child becomes critically ill.

His work has involved extensive engagement with Parliament, ministers and employers, arguing that work should never add pressure during a medical crisis.

Growing national recognition

As a result of the campaign, Hugh’s Law has now been formally named in the forthcoming Carer’s Leave Review, with a dedicated chapter confirmed in the House of Commons.

This followed an amendment tabled in the House of Lords in July 2025 by Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson which, although unsuccessful, significantly advanced parliamentary debate on the issue.

The policy proposes that parents of critically ill children should be entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid leave at the statutory leave rate. Leave would be taken in defined blocks and supported by medical confirmation, offering clarity for employers and certainty for families.

Golf leads by example

The Bridgedown Group’s decision follows a recent announcement by Brentford FC, which confirmed it has incorporated the principles of Hugh’s Law into its own staff leave policies.

Managing Director Tony Menai Davis said the move reflected both compassion and good business practice.

“When a child is critically ill, nothing else matters. No parent should be worrying about their pay, their job or whether they will be penalised for being where they need to be.

By adopting the principles of Hugh’s Law, the group is showing that compassion, clarity and good business can go hand in hand.

“The work and time that Ceri and Frances have committed to campaigning for this in honour of my grandson Hugh is inspirational and we hope we are the first of many clubs to adopt these principles.”

A wider movement

The adoption of Hugh’s Law principles reflects a growing movement among UK employers who are choosing to act ahead of legislation. Many now recognise that structured, time limited support for parents is both humane and operationally workable.

More information about the campaign can be found at www.hughslaw.uk.

About Hugh’s Law

Hugh’s Law was founded in memory of six year old Hugh Menai Davis, who died from rhabdomyosarcoma in 2021.

After Hugh’s death, his parents Ceri and Frances Menai Davis set up the charity It’s Never You after experiencing first hand the lack of support available to parents when a child becomes critically ill.

Over the past three years the campaign has pushed for change in Parliament, leading to debates, amendments and formal recognition within a Government review.

Hugh’s Law aims to ensure parents are supported rather than abandoned when their child’s life is on the line.

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Famed for its unique 6x par 3s, 6x par 4s, and 6x par 5s configuration, and iconic features such as the island green par-3 opening hole and the S-shaped 18th green.

The Shire London has long held a reputation for both quality and difficulty. Now, with the introduction of the Combo Card, players will have the chance to enjoy the layout in a more forgiving, diverse, and enjoyable way without losing the course’s core character.

The Combo Tee layout creatively blends tee positions from across the existing setup, including a mix of the Ruby tees (forward) and Emerald tees (championship tees ) allowing players to tackle each hole in a new way.

EXCITING FINISH

One of the most exciting changes is the reimagined 18th hole: traditionally a par-4, it will now play as a risk-and-reward par-5 from the Emerald tees, tempting longer hitters to go for the green in two, while still offering a safe lay-up route in front of the signature “S” lake.

“Golf is supposed to be fun and enjoyable,” said Tony Menai-Davis, Managing Director of The Shire London. “Over the years, we know the course’s difficulty may have put some golfers off.

With the Combo Card, we’re offering a more accessible and scoreable version of The Shire London, one that still honours Seve’s genius but opens the experience up to more people.”

The launch of the Combo Card coincides with The Shire London’s 18th birthday, marking a new chapter for the much-celebrated course.

Available to both members and visitors, the new layout reaffirms The Shire’s commitment to making championship level golf more inclusive and enjoyable for players of all skill levels.

For further information visit The Shire

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Who is Kris Aves?

Kris Aves – who was the Policeman paralysed in the Westminster Bridge Terrorist attack in 2017 – hosted the event which was attended by over 80 golfers, who were all keen to support Kris and his fellow teammates as they look to playing the next Cairns Cup disability match play tournament in Michigan in August 2024.

After the golf on the day, four previous Cairns Cup players took part in a Q&A followed by a Live Auction hosted by Kris. The players talked about their expectations before last year’s inaugural event and their excitement about travelling to Cherry Creek Golf Club in Detroit next August.

They also went on to explain how ‘fatigue’ and ‘preparation’ play a huge part in the ability to play (Disability/Adaptive) golf frequently and how a recovery plays a big part in their golfing lives. The event was sponsored by Lime Solicitors, Purpose Media & MC2 Marketing.

About The Cairns Cup

The Cairns Cup is a unique INCLUSIVE competition, open to all playing standards (not just elite players) and each team must field a minimum of six disabilities that herald from six or more countries or states’ respectively. The Cairns Cup team encourages all disabilities and welcomes golfers up to 36 handicap indexes, does not discriminate against age and the teams are made up of both women and men. The 2022 event was sponsored by Amazon AWS and the team are currently talking to more sponsors about coming on board for next year’s tournament.

Details of the event, players entry forms and player entry criteria for The Cairns Cup 2024 can be found at www.thecairnscup.com

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