A total of 92 golfers took to the fairways at the Nevill Golf Club in June, raising more than £10,000 between them.
Over the five years of the event, a grand total of £40,000 has been raised for worthy causes, thanks to the efforts of John Benoy, Mike Tunnel and current organisers Chris and Susan Bennett.
The principal beneficiary was The Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre, which offers emotional support for people whose lives have been affected by cancer, including patients’ families, alongside a range of complementary therapies.
Co-founders Polly Taylor and Gaynor Ratcliffe attended a ceremony at the Nevill Golf Club, where they were presented with a cheque for £6,475 by Ian Steadman, of the golf day’s main sponsor BSR Bespoke Chartered Accountants in Tunbridge Wells.
Rotary’s Richard Benoy said: “Pickering is a charity that surely everyone in Tunbridge Wells has heard of. Polly and Gaynor and the team put in a huge effort to organise their own events and raise money so they can carry on providing a very valuable service to people far and wide, and we wanted to help them.”
Three other worthy causes each received £1,000:
Nadine Cowell received a cheque from John Chapman, the Rotary’s Chairman of Community Services, on behalf of Fegans, which cares holistically for children and families through counselling and supporting parents.
Another beneficiary was the Tunbridge Wells Churches Street Team, who help the homeless and others who are in need, with Peter and Margaret Querstret attending the ceremony. Their cheque was presented by treasurer Chris Bennett.
And Brains Matter, formerly known as Headway, which supports those who have suffered brain injury either as a result of an accident or illness, also received proceeds from the golf day, with Jo Clark-Wilson, Judy Horwood and Helen Goddard being presented with a cheque by The Pantiles Rotary President, Roy Pattey.
Mr Benoy added: “The club wish to thank all the generous golfers who attended last year’s golf day. Without the money from their team entry and fantastic auction in the evening, we would not be able to give such valued support to some of our local charities.”
This year’s Golf Day, on Friday June 19, will be offering sponsorship opportunities for individuals or companies on each of the 18 holes for the first time.
For more information, please contact Richard Benoy at pantilesrotary.org
