Big hearted Leighton Buzzard golfers have donated £2,800 to the ambulance service which air-lifted a badly injured colleague to hospital after a freak accident on the Plantation Road course.
The female golfer, who had been struck by a buggy while playing golf last May, had to be sedated by medics before being flown 60 miles to Addenbrooks hospital, Cambridge by the Huntingdon-based Magpus Air ambulance. After two weeks treatment for broken limbs and other injuries, she was transferred to Luton and Dunstable for a short period before being allowed home. Though still requiring ongoing treatment, she has made a good recovery.
And as a thank you gesture, members of the Leighton-based Olde Forresters Golf Society have donated the £2,800 raised on their charity day at the Leighton club to the Magpas air ambulance service.
Says co-organiser Adrian Stephenson, a former Captain of the Leighton club: “We thought this was a very worthy cause for our charitable efforts this year. The injured lady had a 20-minute flight for emergency treatment rather than an hour by road, which we hoped has played a part in her excellent recovery.”
Eighty golfers took part in the charity day, won by 28-year-old five-handicap golfer Lewis Scott, a former Leighton junior who rekindled his golfing interest three years ago. Lewis carded 43 points to beat George Sadowski by two shots, with Ian Kempsell third with 40 points. Jenny Stafford took the ladies Champions Shield with 33 points.
Other prizes for longest drives and nearest-the-pin shots were won by Robbie John, Lewis Scott, Brandon Sanders, Andy Jenkins, David Banwell, Graham Freer, John Latimer, Dan Latimer, Diccon Brearley and Jenny Stafford, while team winners were Ian Kempsell, Adrian Stephenson and Kate and Mark Knight. There was also a prize for David Hawkins for correctly guessing that 38 balls would be lost by golfers during the competition.
In the 14 years since former Leighton rugby colleagues Adrian and Steve Leng formed the Olde Forresters, they have raised almost £30,000 for local worthy causes.
PICTURE CAPTION:
Lewis Scott and Jenny Stafford with their trophies and other winners after winning the Forresters charity golf competition at the Leighton club.
