Save the Children golf day raises record £4,650

A RECORD £4,650 was raised at the sixth annual Charity Golf Day in aid of Save the Children at Downes Crediton Golf Club on Friday, June 5.

A total of 27 teams of four golfers, teed up in generally sunny conditions to compete for Best Mixed, Best All Men, Best All Ladies, Best Visitors and Best Overall.

The fantastic prize hampers contained many items donated by award-winning local firms such as Crediton Coffee Company and Quickes Traditional Ltd.

Other prizes had been donated by individuals or supermarkets in the town including Tesco and the Co-Op.

The raffle table was enormously enhanced by a giant hamper of chocolate given by Ernest Jackson.

Additional funds were raised by the generous sponsorship of Rangemoors, as well as South West Highways, Veitch Penny solicitors, Ashgrove Kitchens, Edwin Tucker and Sons, High Street Saver, Crediton Wool Shop, The Lamb Inn, Sandford and The Fountain Inn, Okehampton.

The ever-popular auction of rounds of golf at other golf courses raised more than £1,200. Four Balls bid for included Bovey Castle, Burnham and Berrow and Saunton. A Plymouth/Roscoff ferry crossing for a car and four people was donated by Brittany Ferries.

The organisers, Judith and Paul Ezard, paid tribute to the continuing support of many, many individuals, including Sue Sparham who has been behind the Golf Day from the outset.

A team of willing helpers made the day fun and the staff and members of the golf club entered into the day with enthusiasm.

The photographs were taken by Mike Palmer who then went off to extend his day on the course to over eight hours by playing in the competition.

One member, Roger Field from Morchard Bishop, added to the excitement by getting a hole-in-one on the 15th.

Jonathan Duke, Save the Children regional fundraising manager in the South West, said at the prize giving that, not only was the Golf Day his favourite fundraising event in the region, it was also one of the most successful.

He told the golfers that the money they raised would help fight the travesty of 17,000 children dying every single day in the world from preventable causes such as malaria or malnutrition.

As well as working in more than 120 countries in the world to help families rebuild their lives after war, disease and natural disasters, Save the Children help families in the UK to ensure that every child has a good start and a fair chance in life.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the charity should telephone Volunteer Support on 020 7012 6997.