NHS staff and key workers are rightly getting the praise and credit they deserve for the heroic work they’re doing on the frontline against the coronavirus. However, there’s another group of heroes who’ve put themselves on the frontline to protect our country who currently can’t use golf to help their recovery: our wounded servicemen and women.
Good friend Stacey Jeffries, an event director for the National Golf Club Challenge, is trying to get tour players, caddies and celebrities who love golf to take just 20 seconds of their time to send a short message to try and boost the morale of over 1,500 wounded servicemen and women who use golf for their recovery. They've had their recovery programs stopped because of the nightmare we’re going through. Suicide is a major concern for ex-service personnel, which is why Stacey is going out of his way to try to get those prominent in the golf world to help out.
So far Tony Johnston, Denis Pugh, Nell McAndrew, Matt le Tissier, Richard Boxall, Andrew Cotter, Mike Bushell, Stan Boardman, Wayne Riley and Billy Foster have all sent messages of support, but Stacey would obviously like more to help out. As he says:
“If it helps stop just one veteran from entering into a downward spiral it will have been worth it”
Stacey does sterling work for the National Golf Club Challenge which supports the On Course Foundation, the only services charity in the UK that uses golf as the tool to aid the continued recovery of our wounded servicemen and women.
The National Golf Club Challenge, which has been in operation since 2010, is the UK’s largest amateur charity golf competition. Its aim is to bring thousands of golfers together on their own golf courses throughout the UK in May, June & July, in an unprecedented show of support for wounded servicemen and women.
The National Golf Club Challenge works in partnership with On Course Foundation and has the charity’s full backing. The aim of the National Golf Club Challenge is quite simple:
To unite golfers all over the UK in honour our fallen heroes, whilst helping members of the armed forces injured in the line of duty.
To collectively raise as much money as possible to support the wonderful work of On Course Foundation.
To give golfers of all abilities the opportunity to play in a National Golf Club Competition giving them the opportunity to compete against other golfers from other golf clubs from all over the UK, concluding in a National Final at Turnberry where the winning golf club is crowned as the National Golf Club Challenge Champions winning the coveted Lee Westwood Cup.
Many of us know people who’ve served in the forces, some of us may even know former service personnel who’ve returned from another front line not quite the same. I’m reminded of my grandfather, who spent four years working in a salt mine as a prisoner during World War 2 after taking a bullet in his leg. He didn’t talk much about his experience, but I know from talking to my father that adjusting to civilian life after the war wasn’t easy.
Don’t forget our other heroes. If you’re a tour pro, caddie or personality in the golf world reading this, then get in touch with Stacey at Stacey@nationalgolfclubchallenge.com Send a message of support to our wounded servicemen and women. Tell them you haven’t forgotten them. I know I haven’t.