New year cash boost suits charity to a tee!

The NSPCC in the North East has kicked off the New Year with a cash boost thanks to a charity golf fundraiser organised by car retailer Pulman.

Natalie Wilson (Pulman) & Wendy Bates (NSPCC)

The charity which aims to keep children safe from harm took delivery of a cheque for £15,000 following an annual golf event in Chester-le-Street organised by the leading Volkswagen and SEAT retailer in September 2012.

Pulman, which has showrooms in County Durham and Sunderland, has organised the golf event for the past seven years, raising over £100,000 since 2006. The money raised has been split in half, with 50% going to the Freeman Hospital and 50% going towards the NSPCC centre in Newcastle which offers services to help some of the most vulnerable children and young people in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham.

September’s event saw over 88 enthusiastic amateur golfers brave torrential rain to do battle on the golf course, followed by a charity auction where guests were encouraged to bid for items including a box for 10 people with hospitality for the infamous Newcastle United v Sunderland AFC derby, hospitality boxes for shows at Metro Radio Arena and luxurious Golfing weekends at Close House.

The event was created by Mike Pulman, Managing Director and keen golfer. He said: “We are so proud to have raised £15,000 for the NSPCC. It’s a fantastic charity and we are so very pleased to be part of it. Every year we hold our Pulman charity golf day and even though it rained all day, everyone was in true charity spirit, defied the weather and played golf.”

Wendy Bates, head of community 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.”

It costs £2,800 to recruit, train and support one of the NSPCC’s volunteers for its pioneering ChildLine Schools Service, an ambitious new service that will visit every primary school in the North East by 2016, to help local children to understand abuse and how they can stay safe.  The £15,000 cash boost could help the NSPCC recruit, train and support five volunteers in the north east during their first year with the Schools Service.