Reading Golf Club Donate £12,225!!

On Friday evening, March 1st, Reading Family Aid was astonished to receive a cheque for £12,225 from Reading Golf Club. Together with an enormous amount of toys donated to our 2023 'Toys and Teens' appeal, it forms the biggest contribution ever made from one organisation in one year to Reading Family Aid. We are immeasurably grateful and thank the members of Reading Golf Club with all our hearts, on behalf of the hundreds of children who will benefit .

Cathy Jones, Club Captain (left) and Hilary Rusby, Lady Captain (right)

In January last year we were contacted by Reading Golf Club's Ladies Vice Captain, Hilary Rusby, asking for information about Reading Family Aid. She and the Club ​Vice Captain, Cathy Jones, were looking for a local charity to support during their Captains' Year from April 2023.

Once they heard all about the work that we do, they decided to support us for the year. They organised several events which were specifically to raise funds for us and also other events where they also included a raffle, cake stall etc.

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The golf and fundraising year started with the Captains Drive off where members paid to guess the combined lengths of the drives of Cathy, Hilary and Alex Stronach, the Junior Captain.

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Jason and Hilary after their combined 165 holes in a day!

At about 4.30AM on Wednesday June 21st Jason Macbeth,a member of Reading Golf Club, set out on a marathon mission to complete 100 holes in a day - that's that's about 5.5 rounds, walking about 20 miles and hitting the ball over 500 times. He succeeded in his mission at around 9PM that evening after having only two short breaks during the day. He was accompanied in this marathon by the equally amazing, Hilary Rusby, who completed an astonishing 65 holes. Club members sponsored Jason and he raised over £2,000!

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On August 12th Reading Golf Club, held their Charity Day. Members paid to play in a competition, holes are sponsored by local businesses and individuals and other funds were raised through a tombola and cake stall. Around £7,000 was raised on this one day.

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Alex (2nd from right back row) with several other juniors with some of their donations.

As well as donating money, the members also very generously donated most;y new toys to our Toys and Teens Appeal last Christmas. Some of the donations came from an event organised by Alex, Junior Captain.

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Cathy and Hilary held their 'Swansong Dinner' on Friday 1st March where they presented Ruth Perkins, Fundraising Manager for Reading Family Aid, with the enormous (in both senses of the word!) cheque for an astonishing £12,225. Cathy and Hilary summed up their year and said some very nice things about the work of Reading Family Aid. Ruth thanked everyone for supporting Cathy and Hilary in their fundraising efforts and for helping to put so many smiles on the faces of disadvantaged children in Reading. 

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Hilary Rusby, Ladies Captain (left), Cathy Jones, Club Captain (right) with Ruth Perkins, Fundraising Manager for Reading Family Aid (centre).