One of the UK’s leading golf groups, has announced that it has formally adopted the principles of Hugh’s Law, a policy designed to ensure that no parent is forced to choose between their job and being at the bedside of a critically ill child. Under the policy, employees of The Bridgedown group which owns, The Shire London, The Inspiration, The West London Golf Centre and the upcoming Legacy Club, will be supported to take leave from work to be present in hospital when their child is seriously ill, with job protection and financial security during what is often the most traumatic period of a family’s life.
Hugh’s Law is the result of more than three years of sustained campaigning by Ceri Menai-Davis, Director of The Bridgedown Group, following the death of his son Hugh, who passed away in 2021 aged six after a ten-month battle with a rare 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 included extensive engagement with Parliament, ministers and employers, arguing that work should never be an added burden during a medical crisis. As a result of this campaigning, Hugh’s Law has now been formally named in the forthcoming Carer’s Leave Review, with a dedicated chapter, confirmed from the despatch box in the House of Commons. This followed an amendment tabled in the House of Lords in July 2025 by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, which, while 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’ paid leave at the statutory leave rate, taken in defined blocks and supported by medical confirmation, ensuring clarity for employers and certainty for families.
The Bridgedown Groups decision follows the recent announcement by Brentford Football Club, which confirmed it has incorporated the principles of Hugh’s Law into its own staff leave policies.
Commenting on the announcement, Managing Director Tony Menai-Davis said: “When a child is critically ill, nothing else matters. No parent should be worrying about their pay, their job, or whether they’ll 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 that we are the first of many clubs to adopt the principles.”
