Fairgrove tees off for Air Ambulance
East Midlands, 22 May 2006. In spite of the poor weather, businesses from across the region teamed up to raise more than £2,500 in the third Fairgrove Homes annual charity golf tournament, held at Morley Hayes Golf Club, Derbyshire, on 17 May 2006.
This year, the money –which was raised through green fees, a raffle and a charity auction – will provide vital funds for the County Air Ambulance.
“This is the first year that we have supported the County Air Ambulance,” said Steve Midgley, managing director of Fairgrove Homes, as he presented the cheque to Ann Harvey, volunteer coordinator of the County Air Ambulance Trust. “This very worthy cause is literally the difference between life and death for some people. Although the weather made play very difficult – and for a while we thought that competition for the booby prize would be the strongest – some excellent personal performances meant that the fight for first, second and third position was equally strong. One of the players even managed to score a hole in one at the challenging 12th hole. His donation of money in lieu of a round of drinks for all players brought the funds raised to more than £2,500, making this our most successful tournament yet.”
“It takes our crew two minutes to get into the air and we can reach anywhere in the region within 19 minutes of flying time,” said Ann Harvey. “These times are crucial if accident victims are to reach hospital within the ‘golden hour’ after an accident. As a charity that receives no government money or Lottery funding, we are reliant on the generosity of those in our community. Each year, we must raise £3.5 million just to keep three helicopters in the air. The financial support from organisations like Fairgrove is essential if we are to continue providing an air ambulance service seven days a week.”
Fairgrove was pleased with the response by local businesses to its latest golfing challenge. “This year 23 teams entered the competition,” says Steve. “They played some fantastic games, with the team from HQC grabbing first prize in a closely fought contest. Second and third prizes went to the teams from Sanders Menswear and Kedleston Heating respectively. At the other end of the scale, the team from Hacker Young Accountants stormed off with the booby prize. Once again, we’ve been staggered by the response to the event and we’re really pleased to have raised so much money for such a good cause.”
To round off the competition properly, players enjoyed a three-course dinner and good wine at the golf club. During the dinner, they dug deep in their pockets to bid for items including a round of golf for four, generously donated by Morley Hayes Golf Club. “We’re especially grateful to all the companies who gave so big heartedly,” says Steve.
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