Member Article

Golfers nominate Grace Research Fund as chosen charity for fundraising efforts

A Nuneaton golf club has nominated the Grace Research Fund as its charity of the year.

Golfers at Oakridge Golf Club in Arley Lane have already started their fundraising to help research into the causes of premature births and the best forms of neonatal care involving the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, the University Hospital Coventry, Warwick Hospital and the University of Warwick.

Over £1,000 has been collected so far and the new captains for 2014, Ian West and Lynn Seward, have a tough task to beat a record tally of over £6,500 for Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice, the golf club’s 2013 nominated charity of the year.

Ian said it had been a joint decision to steer their fundraising efforts towards the Grace Research Fund.

“Lynn wanted to help a charity focused on babies or children and a few years ago my wife, Michelle, worked at George Eliot Hospital and the neonatal unit at University Hospital so I know about the great work that goes on to help premature babies and their families at their toughest times,” he said.

“That meant choosing the Grace Research Fund seemed a natural choice particularly since I remember going to the charity’s first ever fundraising event at the Chesford Grange Hotel in Leamington many years ago.

“At Oakridge, we have around 600 members in the men’s, women’s and juniors sections and our vice-captain’s event and captain’s drive-in competition kick-started our charity fundraising.

“We have plans to organise a 100-hole challenge and a nine-hole family day for golfers and non-golfers as well as enter teams in The Big Push, the Grace Research Fund’s trolley dash.

“I am sure we will, as always, receive tremendous backing from our members and we look forward to meeting the neonatal team again at the end of our fundraising year in April 2015 – along with a big cheque.”

The money raised by Oakridge Golf Club will help premature babies such as Michael Moloney, who was born on March 12, 2014, at 26 weeks and two days weighing 1lb 12oz.

Michael’s mum Michelle Moloney, who lives in Keresley, explained: “My waters broke at 18 weeks and we feared the worst. As soon as Michael was born, he was ventilated and he is now receiving Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) where he breathes himself but it is like a flow of air going continuously into his lungs.

“Michael responded really well for the first two weeks when he was born and then he had a few set-backs but he is a real fighter and we are hoping, with the aid of oxygen, we will be able to bring him home in the summer.”

Dr Andy Coe, consultant paediatrician at University Hospital, said everyone connected with the Grace Research Fund was grateful to the support of Oakridge Golf Club to enable the charity to continue its work.

“The Grace Research Fund is a relatively small charity but all the money raised and donated helps families, like the Moloney’s, who live in Coventry and Warwickshire,” he said.

“We would like to thank Oakridge Golf Club for nominating the Grace Research Fund as its charity of the year and although I’m not the world’s greatest golfer, I’m looking forward to joining in some of Oakridge’s events which are aimed at players of a similar standard to myself!”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .