Burnham & Berrow Golf Club has this week presented a bumper cheque for £35,800 to a local charity that supports children with additional needs in Somerset.
The club raised the funds during 2023 from a variety of activities through the year for the small local charity Help The Child.
Stephanie Sampson, Fundraising Co-ordinator at Help The Child, says: “We are delighted to be receiving this substantial donation from Burnham & Berrow Golf Club.”
“The 2023 Club Captain Symon Clifford, Ladies’ section Captain Annette Poynton and Seniors Captain Steve Cartwright all committed to raise funds for Help the Child, and their support has resulted in the magnificent sum of £35,800 being donated.”
“During our year as the Captains’ charity the club as a whole has been incredibly welcoming and helpful to us, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members, along with the staff in the office, pro shop and catering for their phenomenal support.”
Help the Child is a small local charity run entirely by volunteers to support children with additional needs in Somerset. It aims to help the children maximise their full potential through the purchase of specialised equipment, communication aids, sensory and developmental toys and postural support aids.
Stephanie adds: “We have excellent links with children’s therapists and social workers working within the NHS and social care, and we believe our co-operation with these agencies is a strong point of the charity’s organisation. The committee incurs virtually no overheads, meaning that all funds raised go towards helping local children.”
Symon Clifford, Burnham and Berrow Golf Club Captain for 2023, says: “As the 2023 Burnham and Berrow Club Captain, I was eager to identify a charity which would tick a number of boxes, these being – to be locally based and integral to the community, to make an immediate impact on the lives of the people needing support and, to ensure that all monies raised would go to these people rather than get consumed in administration fees.”
“When ‘Help the Child’ approached me and asked for our support the decision was both easy and instantaneous, especially when I was made aware of the work they undertake.”
“To that end, Burnham and Berrow Golf Club entered into a wholehearted partnership which was a perfect fit that saw some amazing support from members, friends, businesses and people in both the local and wider community. To that end the amazing sum of £35,800 has been raised which will be life changing for those in most need.”
“Personally, it was a privilege and great fun to be part of. Big thanks must go to the club for their support but special recognition must go to the “Help the Child” team, led by Stephanie Sampson and Carol Hicks, amazing people working for a fantastic cause.”
Further information about Help the Child, including how to apply for support, can be found at www.helpthechild.org.uk.
Pictured: The charity’s Stephanie Sampson, Fundraising Co-ordinator; Carol Hicks, Treasurer; Angela Webber, Co-chair; Louise Allen. Co-chair; Karen Brenner, Secretary; and Golf Club’s Symon Clifford, Club Captain 2023 and Jerry Hodge, Club Chairman