CHARITY golfers addressed the ball and fundraising in equal measure helping an annual event crack the £200,000 barrier.
Twenty four teams of four teed off at Blackwell Golf Club, Darlington, for the 17th annual golf day in aid of St Teresa’s Hospice, organised by North-East based home care provider Heritage Healthcare.
The charity rounds and presentation evening raised £15,000 so far bringing to £210,000 the amount raised for the hospice, which serves the people of Darlington, South West Durham and North Yorkshire.
Overall winners were Stockton-based charted surveyors, Robertson Simpson Ltd.
Head of building consultancy Paul Tully said: “This is the third time that Robertson Simpson Ltd has taken part but the first time that we have won.
“St Teresa’s Hospice is a fantastic charity to support and this event is always so well organised by Heritage Healthcare.
“We are ecstatic to have come in first place and will definitely be here again next year to defend our title.”
Heritage Healthcare director Sally Pickersgill, who organises the day, said: “The annual golf day is a great way for the community to rally around St Teresa’s Hospice, which does such an incredible job for people with life-threatening illnesses and their families.”
Director of Heritage Healthcare Glenn Pickersgill added: “Once again we have had a fantastic turnout and also an incredible response from businesses and local organisations who donated prizes for our winners and for the charity auction.
“St Teresa’s Hospice is so important for our community; everyone knows someone who has been supported by their incredible staff, including myself, so fundraising for such an amazing charity is an integral part of what we do at Heritage Healthcare.”
St Teresa’s chief executive Jane Bradshaw said: “This has been another wonderful day. St Teresa’s Hospice is a community charity, owned by the people of Darlington and District, and we can only continue to do what we do with continued help and support from local people.
“Over 400 volunteers and staff enable us to carry out our pioneering care and look to help even more people with more complex problems but all this is only possible with donations from events like this.
“Sally Pickersgill is one of only a handful of people who have been made an honorary member of the Darlington and District hospice movement for her and Heritage Healthcare’s exceptional service to St Teresa’s.
“She and Glenn helped to launch our very first appeal for an inpatient unit in our original Woodlands building, they have raised funds for our family support and bereavement counselling services and they were behind us in helping fundraise for our new 12 bed inpatient unit, which we officially opened last year.”