Golfers in the pink to boost cancer charity

Gathurst Golf Club in Shevington has raised £1,000 for Breast Cancer Now from its “wear it  pink” day and a charity prize draw.
Lady captain Elaine King, centre, holds a £1,000 cheque for Breast Cancer Now charity, pictured with club captain Ben Johnson and other members of Gathurst Golf Club - the funds were raised at charity golf competitions and some competitors wore pinkLady captain Elaine King, centre, holds a £1,000 cheque for Breast Cancer Now charity, pictured with club captain Ben Johnson and other members of Gathurst Golf Club - the funds were raised at charity golf competitions and some competitors wore pink
Lady captain Elaine King, centre, holds a £1,000 cheque for Breast Cancer Now charity, pictured with club captain Ben Johnson and other members of Gathurst Golf Club - the funds were raised at charity golf competitions and some competitors wore pink

Over multiple days to ensure social distancing, members kitted out in pink to play golf and donated to enter a prize draw.

Breast Cancer Now, which is the club’s current charity of the year, is close to the heart of many members, including the lady captain Elaine King.

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Elaine said: “My sister suffered from breast cancer and a lot of our ladies have suffered in some way or another. Nearly everybody, the men as well, know somebody who has suffered with breast cancer.”

Ms King was pleasantly surprised at the money they raised and described the fund-raising as a “big success”.

She said: “I think people, because they’ve not given to many things this year, were so generous this time.

“Everyone enjoyed it as well.”

She hosted the prize draw alongside fellow captain Ben Johnson and Ladies president Angela Hurst.

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They have since been thanked and congratulated by Breast Cancer Now for their hard work.

Local businesses around Wigan also pulled together to donate a total of 58 prizes for the day.

Ms King added: “Various pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and everywhere in Shevington and Standish were very generous.”

“The members were as well, a lot of ladies brought in bottles of wine, a hamper full of chocolates, a hamper of beauty products.”

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Both Ms King and captain Ben Johnson will continue their roles for an extra year after the pandemic caused disruptions to their usual events.

“We usually have a lot more socials and a lot more fund-raising but with the closures it’s not been possible,” she said. “We were planning things for Christmas like making up food parcels and having the Christmas lunch for the elderly but it’s all hypothetical until we get near Christmas.”

They are among many other golf clubs having to close again during lockdown.

An online petition urging the government to allow golf clubs to stay open during the new lockdown recently gathered more than 250,000 signatures.

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On the petition Ms King said: “They’re trying to say because we’re outside and we’re exercising that we could keep our distance by only playing with one other

person. They’re trying to put pressure on the government to allow us to do that.”

Gathurst Golf Club will be patiently waiting to see when they can open before announcing their next charity fund-raiser.

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