Woodsome Hall Golf Club captains Glenn Paxman and Julie Lee have raised £30,000 for Huddersfield-based Project Youth Cancer and their support for teenagers and young adults with cancer.
Project Youth Cancer, formerly The Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust, was selected by the incoming captains in April 2023 and throughout their year as club captains hosted events and invited members and guests to contribute to their fundraising efforts.
The charity is well known to the men’s captain Glenn Paxman, as the pioneering company he started, Paxman, has supported the charity for many years and provides scalp cooling free of charge to young cancer patients through the charity partnership.
Glenn generously selected the charity for support and his fellow captain Julie Lee kindly agreed to support as well.
The funds were raised throughout the year with the launch at the Captain’s Charity Golf Day in June 2023, with Glenn providing all refreshments at the halfway point for those on the course and asking members and guest golfers to donate, which they generously did.
The highlight of the club’s fundraising calendar was the Woodsome Hall Captain’s Charity Day in September 2023.
Woodsome Hall members and their guests were extremely generous throughout the day. During the evening guests were entertained by special visitor and auctioneer Steve Kindon, a former professional footballer and Huddersfield Town player.
And the football theme did not stop with the auctioneer, as amongst the golfers were former players Dale Tempest, Alan Starling, Keith Hanvey and Andy Booth, all of whom have played at some time during their careers at Huddersfield Town.
The fundraising was boosted with a donation of £1,500 from York Racecourse when the charity was highlighted to the committee by attendees of the Woodsome Hall Captain’s Charity Day.
Project Youth Cancer supports teenagers and young adults with cancer through age-targeted research and projects to improve mental wellbeing throughout treatment and beyond, including one-to-one counselling for young people in cancer throughout the Yorkshire region.
Since it was established in 1996, the charity has helped increase awareness around how cancers behave differently for adolescents and young adults and the lack of relevant research in this age group.
Over the years it has invested hundreds of thousands of pounds to fund specific research projects to help forge better diagnosis and treatment.
The charity also supports 47 specialist hospitals throughout the UK that treat teenage cancer, providing support mechanisms, such as technology, to improve time spent on hospital wards, and donates over 500 Christmas presents to young people spending Christmas in hospital every year.
Cancer is the most common form of non-accidental death in teenagers and young adults in the UK. Every day in the UK approximately seven young people aged between 13 and 24 are diagnosed with cancer.
Glenn said he was delighted to support Project Youth Cancer and added: “The charity has been known to me and my company for many years in its previous name of the Laura Crane Trust.
“It is only a small charity and funds are even more vital to sustain the excellent work all the staff and volunteers are doing.
“Both Julie and I have been overwhelmed at the support we have received from sponsors, prize donors, supporters and members at the golf club.
“It is hoped the significant amount of money we have raised will go a long way in helping many of the teenagers and their families, to make life a little easier with their plight.”
Julie added: “I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to our fabulous total, not just with money, but with raffle prizes and their time selling tickets and baking etc.
“I have friends who are dealing with the challenging issue of child cancer at the moment and know how important the charity’s support can be.”
Project Youth Cancer head of operations Helen Mervill said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to Glenn and Julie for their wonderful support, along with friends, family and colleagues of the two captains and members of Woodsome Hall.
“As well as the astonishing amount of money raised for the work of the charity, being the chosen charity at this prestigious golf club has raised awareness and helped open doors for new support. As a small charity this is invaluable.”
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