AN annual golf tournament has helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for a local hospice

Sally and Glenn Pickersgill, of Heritage Healthcare, Darlington, presented a cheque for £15,450 to chief executive of St Teresa’s Hospice Jane Bradshaw, following the 16th annual Blackwell Golf Club Charity Day.

The latest event brought the total raised from the tournament to more than £210,000.

Ms Pickersgill, who has spearheaded the funding drive for St Teresa’s by hosting the event each year, said: “A friend of our was diagnosed with cancer in 2001 and at the time there were no beds available at St Teresa’s.

“She had to travel to Stockton even though she only lived around the corner from the hospice. We decided then we had to do something to help and took the plunge to get involved.”

Ms Bradshaw added: “Sally and Glen helped launch our very first appeal for an inpatient unit in our original Woodlands building and have raised funds for our family support and bereavement counselling services, as well as being behind us in helping fundraise for our new 10-bed inpatient unit, which we officially opened last year.

“They are great ambassadors for the hospice," she added.