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Golfers swing into action to make dreams come true

Denise and George ElandA kind-hearted couple from South Gloucestershire have drawn on their sporty backgrounds to make dreams come true for local people with learning disabilities and autism.

Several years ago, Denise and George Eland from Bradley Stoke were shopping in their local supermarket where people supported by Brandon were fundraising for us by helping customers to pack their bags at the tills in return for donations.

They were so impressed by the people they met and chatted to, that they decided they wanted to help raise more money for our Dream Fund - a pot of money set up to help make the dreams of people we support a reality.

At the time, Denise and George were captains of their local bowls teams, and set about organising various events, initially raising a fantastic £1,000.

Motivated by their success, and driven on by their belief in the good work of the charity, they continued their fundraising efforts for Brandon when in February 2017, they became ladies and men's captains at Chipping Sodbury Golf Club and were able to choose a charity to support during their year's captaincy.

They arranged a variety of activities and events, including cake bakes and sales, raffles, serving refreshments at the course's 'half-way house' at the ninth hole, open days, and golf competitions. The golf club's professional player, who offers golf tuition to members, also donated some of the fees for his services. In total they raised a tee-riffic £6,500 during their term.

Talking about the fun they had, George said: "Denise and I had a great time in our year as lady captain and myself as senior captain at Chipping Sodbury Golf Club.

"The charity we chose to support was Brandon Trust. It was our absolute pleasure, that gave us enormous satisfaction in being able to help in some small way."

Peter Nicholls, our Trust and Foundations Manager said "The Dream Fund has received a fantastic boost thanks to the amazing efforts led by Denise and George. It means that people we support can fulfil dreams and ambitions which simply would not be possible otherwise. We'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you for all their hard work and efforts, and the generosity of those who have contributed.”

Further information

Find out more about our Dream Fund and the difference that your support could make by visiting our Dream Fund page or email fundraising@brandontrust.org