(left-right) Mark Powell, CEO of Diverse Abilities Plus, Maggie Blanks, CEO and Founder of Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, Barrie Vincent, Ferndown Golf Club’s Centenary Captain, Di Groombridge, Ferndown Golf Club’s Ladies Centenary Captain, Bob Eveleigh, Charlotte Otter, both from Round Table Children’s Wish.
An astonishing £19,000 was distributed to three charities by Ferndown Golf Club with the cheques being presented at the Centenary Captains’ Farewell Dinner.
Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund (PCRF) received £9,500 and Diverse Abilities Plus and Round Table Children’s Wish were each given £4,750.
The Dorset club’s two Centenary Captains, Barrie Vincent and Di Groombridge, made the presentations.
Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund was chosen because several club members, including former captain Terry Day, have succumbed to the disease and this charity was supported by both captains.
Round Table Children’s Wish (RTCW), which makes dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses, was chosen by Barrie who was an active Tabler when the national charity was formed in Bournemouth.
And Diverse Abilities Plus was selected by Di who was so impressed when she visited Langside School, the specialist day school in Poole for children with profound and multiple disabilities that the charity runs.
The fundraising has taken place over the year at events including a Christmas fayre, carol concert, a charity bridge day and an Evening with Peter Alliss, the famed golf commentator, known as the ‘Voice of Golf’, who learned to play at the club.
Maggie Blanks, founder and CEO of PCRF: “We were honoured to be chosen as Charity of the Year in such a special year for Ferndown Golf Club.
“We’re also extremely grateful for such a generous donation in memory of the club’s friends and colleagues who have been lost to pancreatic cancer.
“This money will be put to great use to help fund the very best UK research that we believe will deliver progress in generating new treatments and early diagnostic techniques to improve the survival rate.”
Charlotte Otter from RTCW said: “The money will be used to make handcrafted wishes for children, aged between four and 17, who have been suffering from life-threatening illnesses.
“The support from the golf club has been of great benefit and will help us continue supporting such deserving children and create long lasting memories at a time of great worry and stress for the whole family.
“A very big thank you to Barrie and everyone at Ferndown for their valued support”.
Beccy Payne, Corporate and Community Fundraiser from Diverse Abilities Plus, said: “We are extremely grateful to Ferndown Golf Club for supporting us this year.
We are very thankful of the £4,750 donation which was raised through a range of fundraising events.”
Incredibly, the club’s additional fundraising efforts at the Salterns Alliss Merlo Pro Am will see it distribute a further £10,000, with PCRF receiving another £7,000 and RTCW being given a further £3,000.
