Golfers ‘club’ together for Rotherham Hospital charity

Members of Rotherham Golf Club scored £2,500 for the Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity during 2016 and 2017.

Former captain Kevin Popplewell chose The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust’s official charity as one of his charities of the year after hearing about a friend’s battle with osteoporosis.

The money — raised by events including a captain’s charity golf day attended by 130 players and supporters — will be spent on specialist equipment or resources for the trust’s bone health service.

Kevin, a member of the club for 16 years, said Carole Walker, a friend and wife of a fellow member, had convinced him to choose the charity after she championed the compassionate care provided by the bone health service during her treatment for osteoporosis.

“I and everyone at the club feel it’s really important to support our local hospital and this is our way of giving something back,” he said.

“We are proud to have raised so much and we hope it makes a difference to patients in Rotherham.”

The bone health service provides 2,500 scans every year for patients with conditions like osteoporosis.

Kath Thompson, osteoporosis clinical nurse specialist, visited the golf club to thank members for their donation.

She said: “We were incredibly humbled and pleased to hear the captain at Rotherham Golf Club had chosen our charity as one of his charities.

“They have done a magnificent job of fundraising, as well as raising awareness about our work and how conditions like osteoporosis affect people.

“Without their support we wouldn’t be able to offer the added extras which make coming to hospital a more comfortable, less stressful experience for patients and their families.”

For more information about the Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity, contact Suzanne Rutter on 01709 426821 or via [email protected].