Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance has received a cheque from Southwick Park Golf Club

Southwick Park Golf Club hosted its annual meeting on January 25 at the clubhouse.

Every year the vets of the club have a new captain who chooses a charity for the duration of their time as the head of the group. Money is raised throughout the year and a cheque is presented to the chosen charity – and for the last year Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance was the charity of choice.

Alan Chapman, who has been the captain for the past year, said: ‘I was the events captain for the year and the captain always has a charity and I chose the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance because I didn’t realise until about three years ago that it was a charity, I thought the air ambulance was part of the NHS but it is not financed by them and I thought it was a worthy cause.’

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The charity was presented with a cheque for £1,540, which was raised through raffles, auctions and big competitions that took place across the year.

He added: ‘It was quite good because it has become more and more difficult to raise money for charities over the years but I am very pleased. Everyone was very generous particularly when it came to donating prizes and also I got a few sponsors for one of the major competitions so I was very pleased.

‘I have been at the club since 1978 so I have been there for 40-odd years and it has got a good atmosphere and it is well supported there and the vets are very supportive of the charities.’

Natalie Russell, from the Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance, was presented the cheque and Alan said that she was extremely pleased with the amount of money that had been raised.

Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance is a charity that delivers critical care to unwell and injured people in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight area. They work every day of the year and they attend road collisions, sporting accidents and many other incidents.