Charity is the winner at Par-fect fundraiser

An annual golf event in Chester-le-Street has raised over £22,000 for charities in the region.

The NSPCC and Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital will each benefit from the event, which was organised by leading Volkswagen & SEAT retailer Pulman.

The retailer, which has showrooms in County Durham and Sunderland, has organised the golf event for the past six years, raising over £75,000 since 2006.

This year’s event saw 84 enthusiastic amateur golfers, including special guest Sir Ian Botham, take to the course to enjoy 18 holes of golf and a three course meal.

Guests were then encouraged to bid for items in an auction featuring exclusive sporting prizes including a football boot signed by Lionel Messi, 1966 World Cup memorabilia, and a private box at St James’ Park for the Newcastle v Manchester United game.

The event is the creation of Managing Director and keen golfer Mike Pulman. He said:

“This has been the best golf day yet. Every year we raise more and more for charity and this year we topped the lot. I’m really pleased that we’re able to make a contribution that will help people across the region.”

This year the event on 27 June raised £22,250. This will be split in half, with 50% going to the Freeman Hospital and 50% going towards the new NSPCC centre in Newcastle that offers services to help some of the most vulnerable children and young people in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham.

Wendy Bates, head of local fundraising for the NSPCC in the North East said:

“I’d like to thank Mike and his team at Pulman for putting in such a tremendous amount of effort to once again organise a fantastic golf day. It’s thanks to supporters like Pulman that we are able to fund our services for children in the region. Everyone involved in the day, whether paying to enter, bidding in the auction or helping with the planning, has made a real difference to the lives of children in the North East.”

Money donated to the Freeman Hospital will help improve patient comfort and enhance the hospital’s facilities for both patients and staff. 

Dr Janet McComb from The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said:

 “We rely on charitable donations from trusts, individuals and companies, like Pulman to supplement mainstream NHS funding. Thanks to everyone involved in the golf day, the money raised will help to pay for staff training, specialist services, staff and patient amenities, improvements to the hospital environment and pioneering research which means that our patients can often benefit from groundbreaking treatment.”