On Tuesday the 29th April, with Sue Warren, I attended an afternoon tea at The Renaissance Club, at which a representative from each of the Charities/Non-Profits who had received a grant from the TRCCF, The Renaissance Club Charity Foundation, were each asked to describe their organisation and explain what they did with the donated funds. Many speakers took their turn and Dave spoke briefly about the League’s activities, and thanked the Sarvadi Family and the Trustees for the grant. Catriona Matthew, a Trustee, and Grant Forrest, an Ambassador for the Trust, and former Player for Craigielaw in the Junior League, were both present. A photo is attached below of me with Catriona and the oversized cheque which only just fitted in my car! (And no – the donation did not include that Genesis car!) A letter of thanks has been sent to Renaissance, as follows:-
Dear Jerry, Billy, and the Trustees of the TRCCF. thank you for your hospitality on Tuesday at Renaissance, and to all the staff engaged in putting together a great occasion for the recipients of the fund.
Having listened to some incredible and emotional stories from dedicated volunteers, helping those in society who have had very serious health issues and/or have suffered other tragic misfortunes in life, I felt out of place to be in such company!
However, after some thought, I concluded that volunteers in Junior Golf like myself, with the help of Charitable Funds like the TRCCF, have a role to play in helping young people to avoid some of the dangers ahead in life, by encouraging participation in a safe and healthy sport, to stay fit, to experience regular competition, and to provide this at no cost to them through our non-profit organisation. Through our joint efforts, they gain social skills, self respect, self discipline and confidence, because we give them life-changing opportunities and incentives to help them to realise their dreams, whilst hopefully, they make lifelong friends and contacts along the way.
Your Ladies Champions board, containing the names of 3 of our recent Juniors, Grace, Lucy and Evie, who all competed in our League from a very young age, is a testament to Renaissance, and to our League I suggest, that combined, we give the chance to our Junior Golfers to excel. This is best recently evidenced I suggest, through Grant’s successes in Junior, in Amateur, and now in Professional Golf. It is great to see Junior golfers excelling but if they continue to play golf and enjoy golf for the rest of their lives, that’s what really matters! If they do that, then we have succeeded.
It is notable I think, that our League Patron Catriona, and Grant, a Junior in our League at age 12, are now TRCCF Trustees or Ambassadors.
On behalf of all the volunteers and players involved in the East Lothian Junior Golf League, thanks for your generous donation.
Dave Warren. League Secretary.
