Melton Lions Golf Day marks 25 years of helping young people

Tournament sponsors, from left, Rachel Cox (The Melton Building Society), Nick Davies (Pearce & Sons), Liz Pugh (Richard Barnes), Wayne Browning (Browning Suzuki), Stephen Jeal (NFU Mutual), tournament organiser Derek Whitehouse, and Joe Dixon (TTS Shipping). EMN-180208-110855002

This will be a very special occasion as the Lions Tournament was the first of its kind ever to be played at the town’s Golf Course back in 1994.

Entry is still open and you can book tee times by calling the Melton Golf Club office on (01664) 562118 or golf pro Tony Westwood on (01664) 569629.

The competition is a betterball stableford (pairs) with the star hole-in-one prize on offer a brand new car, sponsored by Browning Suzuki.

Other hole-in-one prizes include £1,500, £750, £250, while prizes for the top five finishers, plus nearest-the-pin, longest drive, top lady finishers are also up for grabs.

To celebrate 25 years of the tournament each player will receive a commemorative ball marker, thanks to Asbri Golf, while PB Sports are providing every golfer with a luxury flapjack.

Now the Lions’ major money spinner, the event regularly raises around £7,000 each year with proceeds going to help groups or individual young people.

Tournament founder, and keen golfer, Derek Whitehouse said: “We think that over the full 25 years we have raised a total of at least £170,000.

“The first year we made about £1,000 and we have built on this each time, trying all sorts of ways to appeal to players and sponsors.

“This has enabled us to help youngsters in all sorts of ways; sometimes it has been to support clubs, and sometimes to help individuals to go further with their studies.”

The Lions have sent terminally ill children to see Father Christmas in Lapland, have funded numerous trips and activities for the local Mencap group and have supported residential trips for primary schoolchildren through the Melton Lions School link.

They have assisted local Scouts, have provided therapeutic equipment to support disabled children in mainstream schools, supplied toys for Home Start’s toddlers play group, and music software to support music therapy at a local children’s hospice.

“It is wonderful to think that everyone who has ever played or who has ever supported us with sponsorship and auction prizes has enabled us to achieve so much in helping improve the lives of disadvantaged young people in our area, and I would like to thank them all,” Derek added.