Golfers raise £45,000 for Help for Heroes

A group of north-east golfers have been swinging their way to charity success, after they raised £45,000 for Help for Heroes. 

Whitburn Golf Club decided to raise money for the military charity ten years ago in memory of a friend who lost his life in 2003, the Sunderland Echo reports. It said that the golfers set themselves a target of £50,000 for their charitable venture as a part of the Gary Thompson Memorial Golf Society.

The charity event started as an annual golf tournament at the course, but ever since it has snowballed and the group now holds a number of different charity events over the year. 

So far this year, the charitable group says, it has made a substantial amount of money, with the tournament itself having raised more than £9,000. With a Christmas disco also still to be held this year, it said that it hopes to hit its £50,000 target by the end of 2014. 

Organiser Steve Mackings, whose son serves in the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Unit, told the news source: “Help For Heroes is something close to my heart, as it to a lot of people. 

“After Gary passed away, we wanted to do something is his memory and there are about 10 of us who get together every year to organise the golf day."

He went on to add that the group gets a lot of support from businesses in the local area, especially in the last three years. 

They currently have some 25 members, and other fundraising ventures include the likes of fines for players. Golfers are given a penalty for swearing, taking a huff, throwing clubs and not wearing their Help For Heroes pin badges.

Elsewhere, Tesco has now launched its new beer designed to provide help with funding to Help for Heroes. The beer has been created by former soldiers and will be sold in Tesco stores, with a percentage of each bottle going to the charity.