We welcomed 80 golfers to Dyrham Park Country Club on Wednesday 10th October for our inaugural golf day.
We got incredibly lucky with the weather and managed to schedule the day, which was sponsored by Resolution Property, to coincide with a mini heatwave. The weather in the run-up to the event had been cold and wet, but on the morning of our event, the sun shone brightly and we had the most perfect day for a round of golf!
We wanted to give the teams the true Spread a Smile experience so as well as offering endless Krispy Kreme doughnuts, cookies and chocolate, we were delighted that three of our magicians, Martin, Sacha and Louise, could entertain the players on the course. Later in the day we were joined by Judge the Poet, who wowed guests with his spontaneous poetry. It was a great opportunity for them to experience the entertainment we offer to our young patients in hospital.
Lucy Jackson, our CEO, said, “We could never have dreamt when the charity started just 5 years ago that 20 teams of golfers would choose to support us in this way – or that we would have such great weather in the middle of October.”
Over a delicious lunch in the clubhouse, the golfers listened to an introduction to the charity, given by Lucy Jackson, chief executive of Spread a Smile. Then Anna Moss, mother of Vanessa, spoke movingly of the difference the charity made to her young daughter and family over the years Vanessa was treated for Neuroblastoma at Great Ormond Street Hospital and towards the end of her life.
We raised an incredible £30,000 on the day and we would like to say an enormous thank you to everyone who came, donated and supported the event.
You can see all the photos from the day here
Thank you so much to Resolution Property for sponsoring the day, to Dyrham Park Country Club for hosting us, to Parks for donating luxury candles for the goody bags, to all those who donated items for the raffle, to Zahid at Optic Blaze Photography and to our Spread a Smile entertainers and volunteers for helping make the day a success.