Keen corporate golfers in Coventry and Warwickshire will support lifesaving flights when they tee off at a business event in June.
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual President’s Golf Day at Nailcote Hall Hotel & Country Club on Thursday, June 22 as regional businesspeople down tools and pick up their clubs in aid of a good cause.
This year, the Chamber has nominated as the charity partner for the day, the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA), which is based at Coventry Airport from where it attends many lifesaving missions across Coventry and Warwickshire.
As a charity, the service relies solely on donations and fundraising activity to offer potentially lifesaving flights across 3,850 square miles in the region. An average mission costs around £1,700 and, already this year, the vital service has completed close to 1,000 missions across the area.
Chamber chief executive Corin Crane and president Tom Mongan paid a visit to Coventry Airport to find out more about the service ahead of the golf day in June.
Corin said: “It is only when you come and chat to the team involved with the WNAA that you understand the full scale of what they do and the area they serve. It’s genuinely lifesaving stuff and none of us know when we might need them – but if you do, you will be forever thankful that they came to your aid.
“Of course, the Chamber golf day is good fun for everyone who takes part and is a chance to get out and meet local contacts and chat to other businesspeople from around the region.
“But we are really pleased that, at the same time, we’ll also be able to raise some much-needed funds for such an amazing charity.”
The golf day, which is sponsored by Rybrook Warwick BMW, will begin at 10am and will include a barbeque. It is taking place on the beautiful par-three course at Nailcote Hall, which will play host to the British Par Three Championship later this year. Golfing legends such as Ian Woosnam through to sporting stars such as Peter Shilton have previously played the course.
Tom said: “The President’s Golf Day is one of the great events in the business calendar and I am truly looking forward to this year’s event – hopefully with some lovely summer sunshine.
“It would be great for more businesses to sign up because the more people we get involved the more we can raise for the Air Ambulance, which needs as much funding as possible to deliver its critical service.”
Local Community Fundraising Executive for WNAA, George May, said: “Support like this from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce to is extremely important to our charity as we receive no government funding and rely solely on generous donations from fundraising events such as this to remain operational.”
“Our lifesaving charity celebrates 20 years of vital service this year because of wonderful events like this, so we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who is participating in the event, and hope they have a brilliant day,” he added.
To find out more about the President’s Golf Day and to book your place, head to www.cw-chamber.co.uk/events
Pictured (left to right): Paul Mullins (Paramedic), Andrew Mockridge (Doctor), Corin Crane (chief executive of the Chamber), Howard Roe (Pilot), Tom Mongan (Chamber president)