Bracken Ghyll Golf Club goes the extra round for Nell Bank
Members of Bracken Ghyll Golf Club in Addingham have raised £8,000 for outdoor learning charity Nell Bank, a gift that will save the charity around £9,000 every year.
The money will buy new grounds maintenance equipment for Nell Bank's 25 acre site off Denton Road in Ilkley, including a trailer mower, a powered push mower and a range of power tools. It allows the charity to bring all its grounds maintenance in-house, so this one off gift enables ongoing annual savings which go straight back into Nell Bank's work with children and families.
Dan Goodey, CEO of The Nell Bank Charitable Trust, said: "This is exactly the sort of partnership that makes a real difference. The machinery will save us around £9,000 every year and gives us what we need to keep this huge outdoor space safe and looking fantastic for the children who come here. What I have loved about Bracken Ghyll is that their support goes far beyond fundraising. Their members give their time and share their skills, and that's worth every bit as much to us as the equipment itself.
“Everything we do at Nell Bank is about children. If this partnership means another child can explore a little further, or a family can enjoy a day together they might otherwise not have afforded, then it has achieved something really worthwhile."
The gift follows a decision by Bracken Ghyll's captains; Seniors Captain Simon Lawrence, Ladies Captain Judy Taylor and Men's Captain Martyn Fisher, to name Nell Bank as the club's charity of the year. Nell Bank welcomes 24,000 children a year, with around a quarter of them on a free or subsidised place.
Simon Lawrence, Seniors Captain at Bracken Ghyll Golf Club, said: "Bracken Ghyll is a golf club, but it is also a community. Nell Bank was a natural choice. We know the money we raise and the time we give is going straight into making a difference here on our doorstep. You turn up thinking you're going to help for a few hours, and you leave having seen hundreds of children having an amazing time outdoors."
The partnership is about people as much as machinery. Club members volunteered at Nell Bank's Easter and summer events this year, each of which needs around 40 volunteers to welcome more than 600 visitors, including families accessing the Holiday Activities and Food Programme. For the volunteers, it is a chance to see at first hand what their fundraising makes possible.
The link between the two organisations was made by Stuart Thomson, a longstanding Nell Bank trustee and Bracken Ghyll member, who coordinates the volunteers at the charity's biggest events.
Stuart Thomson, Nell Bank trustee and Bracken Ghyll member, said: "Being part of both Nell Bank and Bracken Ghyll, I get to see this partnership from both sides. I've seen first-hand what Nell Bank does for children and families, and I know just how generous Bracken Ghyll's members are. Coordinating the volunteers for our events is one of the best parts of my year, watching individuals, corporate teams and our own golf club members pull together to give hundreds of children a brilliant day outdoors."
Members are sharing their skills too. Richard Beilby now maintains the ‘Nellmobile’, the electric access vehicle that lets children with mobility difficulties and SEND explore the site independently.
Judy Taylor, Ladies Captain at Bracken Ghyll Golf Club, said: "Choosing Nell Bank felt like an easy decision. Once people saw what the charity does for children from our local area, everyone wanted to help."
Martyn Fisher, Men's Captain at Bracken Ghyll Golf Club, said: "You come away from a volunteering day having watched hundreds of children have the best day simply being outdoors. That stays with you."
The two organisations celebrated the partnership at Nell Bank on 14 October, when club members saw the new machinery in action.
Nell Bank is looking for more local organisations and businesses to partner with, whether through brand partnerships, fundraising, volunteering or sharing skills. To get involved, contact office@nellbank.org.
