THE captains of Kingsdown Golf Club jumped out of planes, teed off and attempted hole in ones to raise more than £12,000 for two charities.

Members of the Corsham golf club joined club Captain Leigh McCarron, ladies’ captain Chris Barnes and seniors’ captain Paul Steer over the last year to raise the much-needed cash for the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group and the South West Children’s Hospice.

Mr McCarron said: “We would like to thank all our members, staff and friends for their support and generosity during the last year.”

Starting with the captain’s drive-in, where the newly chosen captains tee off in front of the clubhouse to being an 18-hole competition, the year was full of small community events from quiz and music nights to the annual Captain’s and Ladies’ Captain’s Day.

Mr McCarron also arranged for members to play four courses in one day as well as a hole in one competition, while Ann Peirce and Sue Gray hosted a charity golf day in memory of former Ladies’ captain Brenda Abbot who died while on holiday in Portugal two years ago.

Mrs Barnes, however, took it one step further when she agreed to jump out of a plane for the cause, something which she promises she will never do again.

The leadership team presented the cheque to Mike Taylor, chairman of the BCUSG and Emily Mitchard of Children’s Hospice South West at the club on Saturday.

“The service we provide to local children and families is wide-ranging; respite and short breaks, palliative, end of life and bereavement care,” Miss Mitchard said.

“The families who use our Charlton Farm say that without the support, guidance and care provided by us, they simply could not cope.

“The £6,000 raised from the club’s support over the year could provide 24-hour doctor care at Charlton Farm for an entire month, so we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part.”

The money donated to the BCUSG will go towards funding a 24 hour helpline for patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Mr Taylor said: "We at BCUSG are very grateful to the 2017 Captains and the members of Kingsdown Golf Club for their tremendous Fund Raising efforts.

"We have agreed to fund for 12 months the out of hours part of a 24 hour helpline for patients undergoing chemotherapy. It is answered in the Cancer Unit during the day but at weekends and at night is answered at present by the nurses on the William Budd Cancer Ward.

"If they are very busy at that time, it becomes a problem for the patient calling in and the ward staff. Thus we have agreed initially to fund the staff costs including holiday cover for a 12 months trial period. The cost of this is in the region of £70,000."