Derbyshire Golf Club raises record amount to support lifesaving charity

Set within the grounds of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, the Golf Club course is a par 69 with nine greens and eighteen tees. The men’s and women’s Club Captains each choose a charity of the year to support, and for 2022, they both chose to help raise vital funds to keep the local air ambulance saving lives.

Chatsworth Golf Club’s focus and main source of fundraising is their charity weekend held in September where members of the public in teams of four can take part in two days of golf competitions.

Many other events and activities were organised by the Golf Club throughout 2022 including raffles, an online auction, and the Captains Charity Canyon – where if a golf ball entered a specific ditch, then a £1 donation would be made to support the lifesaving charity, and this alone raised over £200 towards their grand total.

Funding such as this means the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance crew is available 24/7, 365 days a year to deliver lifesaving critical care at road traffic collisions, sports events, medical emergencies - such as cardiac arrest and accidents at home - and other incidents needing expert pre-hospital medical interventions.Fiona Stephenson previous Lady Captain at Chatsworth Golf Club said:

“We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone involved, and with their help, we managed to raise a record amount of funds. We would also like to thank the team at Chatsworth House Trust for their generosity in donating unique prizes for the online auction to support this lifesaving charity.”

“When choosing the charity of the year it was a unanimous decision for both Club Captains so they could show their appreciation for the crews and the lifesaving pre-hospital care they provide as members of the club have experienced this first-hand,” she added.

The charity receives no government funding and with every vital mission costing the charity £1,700, it relies on donations such as this to keep its crew flying.

Tracey Jones, DRLAA Community Fundraising Executive, said: “We would like to say a massive thank you to Chatsworth Golf Club for the fantastic amount they have raised to support us. We appreciate all the donations we receive from local communities and businesses and without them, we wouldn’t be able to continue our lifesaving missions across Derbyshire and further afield.”

The charity will be celebrating its 15th anniversary of providing a lifesaving service across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland in 2023. To help mark the momentous milestone the charity is asking for supporters to send in any photos, footage or clippings, or share their stories to help showcase how well the service has developed over the years into the leading provider of pre-hospital critical care it is today. To get involved please visit: www.theairambulanceservice.org.uk or call 0300 3047 999.