Club's £4k gift to charity to help support bereaved young people

The club raised £3,850 for the charity through raffles and auctions after outgoing ladies captain Pat John named Winston’s Wish as the club’s charity of the year for 2015.

Ms John, who is also a teacher, chose the charity atfer witnessing the effect of unsupported bereavement on her students.

“The ladies of Cottesmore Golf and Country Club gave tremendous support to this charity,” she said.

She added: “I would like to thank them and all of the members at Cottesmore who contributed to this worthwhile cause.”

The money raised will help fund the charity’s work with children bereaved of a parent or sibling.

Winston’s Wish community fundraiser Leigh-Beth Stroud said: “I am so proud of Pat and very grateful for all the hard work in raising this fantastic amount for Winston’s Wish.”

The charity needs to raise more than £2.5 million each year to continue its work with bereaved children.

Winston’s Wish was set up in 1992 to meet the needs of bereaved children, young people and their families.

Since then, it has helped many thousands of children begin to live with their loss.

The idea took root when clinical psychologist, Julie Stokes, visited the USA and Canada on a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship.

Inspired by the services she saw there, she returned to the UK and set up Winston’s Wish.

‘Churchill’ quickly metamorphosed into ‘Winston’ – a bear – who became the charity’s mascot.

The charity says that it is Winston’s ‘wish’ that every bereaved child should receive the help they need to cope with the death of someone important in their lives.

Every day, more than 100 children are bereaved of a parent in the UK. This means that over 24, 000 children are bereaved of a parent each year in Britain, and approximately two children under 16 are bereaved of a parent every hour of every day in the UK.

For information on how to support the charity contact Leigh-Beth Stroud on 01403 211030.

Alternatively, visit the charity’s website at www.winstonswish.org.uk.