Nearly £10,000 donated to children’s hospice by Slinfold senior golfers

It was the fourth consecutive year that the section chose to support the Arundel-based children’s hospice.

A cheque for £9807.17 was presented to Jayne Todd, the hospice’s community fundraiser, by Ian Brown, 2019 seniors golf captain, and Terry Wills, who organises bridge club and quiz nights at the golf club, on Wednesday, Febraury 5.

Ian said: “I would like to say a big thanks to everyone that has been so extremely generous.

“Along with many golf days at Slinfold, captain/pro challenges, entry to the Horsham Swimarathon and charity auctions, we managed to raise over £7,000 for the charity.

“The bridge afternoons run by Terry Wills and Gerry Stanford, plus the quiz nights, hosted also by Terry Wills, generated in excess of £2,200.

“The charity tins raised a further £500 making total donations of just under £10,000.”

The Swimarathon was the club’s first fundraiser of 2019, followed by an event to celebrate the new year of golf when all three new captains ‘drive in’ and the previous years group captains ‘putt out’.

Ian said: “The second main event of my year as captain was my Captains Day held in June.

“Although we originally had 108 members signed up to play, we were just under that figure due to weather conditions not suited for all.

“Despite the conditions, this did not dampen members spirits and the day was the highlight of my year as captain.

“Our takings from the sale of cakes and drinks at the half-way point, a beat the pro competition on the second hole, auctions and raffle ticket sales boosted donations on the day to over £2,000.”

The sale of lake balls, the weekly 2’s club, members donations from prizes, profits from a new golf grip fitting service by one of the members, and the weekly bridge club and quiz nights also added to the final figure.

Terry Wills, who has previously represented Sussex in bridge, started holding weekly sessions at the golf club in 2014 after members from the ladies’ section were prevented from getting onto the golf course due to bad weather.

Those who take part in the bridge sessions pay £2 which goes straight into the charity tin.

In 2015 the ticket price of Terry’s quiz nights also changed to include a charity contribution.

Terry said: “At a golf club, raising money for charity from golfing activities is not uncommon: whereas doing so from bridge and quizzes is.

“Within the next month, these two activities will have raised in total just under £10,000 for charity. Last year was a record one with £2,158 being donated.

“This is the fourth year where that very worthy charity, Chestnut Tree House, has been supported and the amount raised so far stands at £5,781.”

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