Funds donated by members of a golf club in Puttenham Surrey have enabled local NHS services to buy state-of-the-art equipment to support the latest in dementia research.
Members of Puttenham Golf Club have donated a total of £4,600 to the research team at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, a registered charity which trials new treatments and support for local people with dementia.
Every year, the men’s and women’s captains of the club each choose a charity to raise funds and awareness throughout their 12 month captaincy. Terry Smith, last year’s men’s captain, chose the NHS charity after speaking to his good friend - and fellow former captain - Bill Barnes about his experiences at the Abraham Cowley Unit in Chertsey.
Bill is a carer for his wife who lives with dementia. He told Terry about his respect for the research team’s lead doctor, Professor Ramin Nilforooshan, and his work.
“I realised having spoken to him that it would be nice to do something for them. We all know someone who has been touched by this horrid condition and we wanted to do something to help them find a way of stopping it.” said Terry.
The pair visited consultant psychiatrist Professor Nilforooshan and invited him to the club.
“I thought he was a fabulous man doing a fantastic job and I was really impressed with the progress he’s making. People who care for those with disabilities really are unsung heroes.” Terry continued.
Terry went on to organise a series of events and activities, ranging from collection tins on the bar to a black-tie dinner attended by over 100 people. The evening event included a guest talk from the former BBC sports commentator Henry Blofeld OBE, plus a presentation from Professor Nilforooshan about the latest developments in dementia research.
“We didn’t know how much we’d raise but our club members were very generous and we are absolutely delighted with the results.” Terry concluded. The funds have enabled the NHS team to buy a specialist therapy chair and urine analyser for the department.
Professor Ramin Nilforooshan said: “We are most grateful to Terry and Bill, and of course to members of Puttenham Golf Club, for their generosity.