TEE-mendous Funds Raised for Veterans’ Care

Care for Veterans’ annual golf day at Ham Manor Golf Club was a roaring success, thanks to the nineteen teams who attended and helped to raise nearly £9,000 for disabled ex-Service personnel.

Team Homewisers enjoying the Bottle Putting Challenge

Teams gathered in the historic Grade II listed clubhouse from 8am on Thursday 27^th April. With hot bacon rolls and cups of fresh coffee ready to go, participants could enjoy a tasty breakfast before collecting their clubs in time for the shotgun start.

The golf course is situated between the Sussex coast and the South Downs national park, with 18 holes designed by Harry Colt. The weather remained mild throughout the day, with some gusty winds to add a little challenge to the golfers’ endeavours. Golfers were invited to try their hand at games including ‘Bottle Putting’, ‘Nearest the Pin’ and ‘The Golden Bucket’, with bottles and prizes available to those with the best swing. To ensure all were refreshed on their blustery walk, a beer buggy was sent out to greet them.

Steak pie with mashed potatoes and vegetables

At 2pm, participants reconvened at the Club House to tuck into a luxury two-course lunch, followed by an auction, raffle and prize-giving. Golfers chose between a steak pie and a Mediterranean vegetable lasagne, followed by a sticky toffee pudding or a cheese selection.

Once the teams had polished off their plates, Head of Fundraising and Marketing Christine Gillott took to the microphone to host the auction. Two Rolex watches, a limited-edition golf club and four Brighton i360 tickets were among some of the exciting items and experiences available for purchase. Immediately after the auction, the raffle commenced. Winners secured prizes including a weekend BMW hire courtesy of Group 1 BMW, a beer hamper from Firebird Brewery and ten-pin bowling for four with thanks to AMF Bowling Worthing.

The final announcements of ‘Nearest the Pin’, ‘The Golden Bucket’ and overall best team scores were shared by the event sponsor Lorraine Ali, from UpFix. The winning teams were Proteus, with a final score of 92, closely followed by Men in Black, with 86 points. Second place won a bottle of port each, with the top scorers enjoying two bottles encased in an engraved keepsake box.

Team Proteus, pictured with Lorraine Ali from UpFix.

Head of Fundraising and Marketing Christine said, “We are so grateful to all the teams who attended, the volunteers who gave their time, the companies that donated, our sponsor UpFix, and the hosts at Ham Manor who helped the day go so smoothly. £8,865 is an incredible amount fundraised to help those fighting their toughest battle yet. It’s events like this one which are so vital to the continuity of our disabled veterans’ vital care services.”

The feedback from participating teams was overwhelmingly positive. The ‘Perky Putters’ from ETI commented, “We had a great day and really enjoyed the event. As always, it was very well organised, and we look forward to joining in again soon”.

If you would like to come to our next golf day, we will be at Worthing Golf Club on Thursday 21^st September 2023. Secure your tickets here.