CARDIAC charity Heartbeat’s South Winchester Golf Day, now an annual event, raised almost £15,000 for the charity.

The event sponsored by Peter Cooper Motor Group attracted 23 teams to the picturesque greens at South Winchester Golf Club on Wednesday, August 14.

Heartbeat, the Southampton-based charity dedicated to supporting cardiac health, provided its signature hospitality at the stunning golf course. The event featured a special treat for golfers in the form of Heartbeat’s renowned gin bar and although the weather wasn’t kind, the sun did occasionally shine through the drizzle.

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Some of the participants (Image: Heartbeat)

The day saw the skills of one Heartbeat patron, former England and Saints footballer James Beattie, put to the test on the 2nd hole, where he challenged the golfers to ‘Beat the Beatts’. Fourteen players managed to beat James; all their names were put into hat, with Jimmy Ball, manager of AFC Totton, winning a bottle of Champagne.

However, the highlight of the day was not just the golf but the remarkable generosity of the participants. The South Winchester Golf Day managed to raise an impressive sum of nearly £15,000, all of which will go towards Heartbeat's important work.

Tina Richardson, Head of Operations at Heartbeat commented: "We are delighted to be able to raise such an impressive sum, which will fund carpets in some of the bedrooms at Heartbeat House. These needed to be replaced for quite some time so it will make a huge amount of difference to those who use the facility. Several bedrooms at Heartbeat House were sponsored through our corporate room adoption scheme at the event, plus, everyone got to enjoy competitive game of golf!"

Heartbeat House is funded by Heartbeat and provides a comfy home-from-home for family and visitors of those receiving cardiovascular care at the Wessex Cardiac Centre. Not only is the 23-bedroom house fully staffed, it has a restful garden and communal areas, large kitchen and even a laundry room.

Guests can stay for free and it is not unusual for them to have to arrive unexpectedly – but Heartbeat also provides basic essentials for their stay.

Tina added: “It costs around £87,000 per year to keep this much-needed facility going and we rely on the generosity of our supporters and kind donations from the public. It’s through events like this that we can keep funding projects and roles that make a real difference to people’s lives. We’re always so grateful for the support and generosity of our patrons and supporters of Heartbeat.”

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The event’s headline sponsor, Peter Cooper Motor Group, generously sponsored a chance to win £15,000 towards a car. Other prize sponsors included Warner Goodman, who sponsored the nearest pin on 18th hole prize, which was won by Jamie Driver.

Barratt Homes sponsored the nearest pin and the longest drive, as well as Beat the Beatts, on Hole 2, while PassKit sponsored the golf balls.

Proud winner of the golf day’s first prize and the Alan Ball Trophy was the Gallagher Insurance team, with an impressive 110 points. The Heartbeat team won second place and in third place was the Jimmy Ball 105 team.