Teeing off with a golf day of fundraising for mens’ health charity near Doncaster

The Thorne/Moorends Charity Golf Day this year will be in aid of mens’ mental health.

Spokesman Jed McCormack explained what the event was all about: “We are a group of male friends in our 20s/30s that get together every year to host a charity golf day in aid of a local charity to raise funds and awareness. We have over 70 people in attendance every year.“The first year we started in 2016, we did our golf day for critical care at Doncaster Royal Infirmary and we raised £2,700 in memory of Susan McCormack who tragically passed away that year, a family friend of all the players. In the Year 2017 we chose the same charity and raised £3,500.”The following two years saw the group raise £8,100 which was used to purchase defibrillators to be used locally, and then Covid struck.Golfers got back on the fairway last year in aid of Firefly cancer awareness and support and their cash kitty totalled £4,500 with 100 participants involved.Jed added: “Overall we’ve raised £19,000 so far for different charities.“Leon Smith is the the leading force behind our group, together with myself Jed McCormack this year we are hosting our day at Thorne Golf Club on Saturday, July 1, tee off at noon with 72 players taking part.”

The event is sponsored by The Hare & Hounds pub in Fishlake which is kindly hosting the presentations and raffles following the match, along with live outdoor music and local street food by The Bucket List.

“This year we are raising money and awareness of a new local charity called the Villagemens Club. This is a support group for men to talk and meet in a safe environment,” said Jed.

"This was set up this December 2022 following several incidences of our local friends and peers taking their own lives. The aim of the group is to try and get men to open up about any problems and worries they are having.

"The group is founded by Kieran Wright and Aaron Rafferty and Aidan Marshall, all local Thorne/Moorends lads. They meet every other Wednesday night at Moorends Miners’ Welfare at 7pm. It’s a safe space (Chatham House Rules) and they encourage men to come along have a cuppa andbiscuits and get things off their chest – no pressure, no judging.”