Haywards Heath Golf Club raise vital funds for Dame Vera Lynn Children's Charity

Through a range of events including golf tournaments and raffles, the golf club successfully raised a staggering £42,445 for the charity, which was announced at a special handover event at the club on January 1.

Captain Paul said: "At the outset both Kaye and I wanted to support a local children's charity in our 2024 Captaincy year and DVLCC was top of our list.

"Each year I am always amazed by how generous HHGC members are when it comes to supporting the Captains Charities and again this year, they did not disappoint whereby a record amount was raised and we were able to support such a worthwhile charity in our community"

DVLCC aims to equip children under five with cerebral palsy and other motor learning impairments with basic skills that will give them the best possible start in life such as sitting unaided, standing or walking, self-feeding and communication.

The charity, based in Chailey, supports children and their families with a wide range of therapies including physiotherapy, music therapy, speech and language therapy, hydrotherapy as well as outreach services. Families travel from across London and the south-east region to access its specialist support.

The charity receives no statutory funding, relying on the generosity of the community and organisations such as Haywards Heath Golf Club, whose incredible donation will make a huge difference to the lives of children supported by DVLCC.

Tracey Shaw, head of fundraising at Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity, said: “In our wildest dreams, we never expected to receive such an incredible sum raised by the members of Haywards Heath Golf Club. It literally brought tears to our eyes as Paul unveiled the cheque.

"On behalf of our families, a heartfelt thank you to this incredible group of people for championing our cause and for transforming the lives of some of our children, which is what this amount of money will do!”

There are many ways for the community to get involved and help local children become more independent, including charity of the year partnerships, fundraising, donations, and volunteering.

If you would like to find out more on how you can make an impact on the lives of young children, please get in touch by calling 01444 473274, emailing [email protected] or visit dvlcc.org.uk