Pub society raises money to buy important equipment for Telford hospital children's ward
A pub's golf society is treating the youngest patients at the Princess Royal Hospital after raising thousands of pounds.
The Pheasant Inn Golf Society, based at the Pheasant pub in Wrockwardine Wood, Telford, is celebrating a record golf season of fundraising.
The club has raised almost £6,000 for the children's ward at the Princess Royal Hospital.
For the last decade, the club has raised tens of thousands of pounds for good causes including Telford's young carers, Severn Hospice and the Birmingham Children's Hospital.
Each year, the new club captain is asked to select a worthy fundraising cause. This year inspiration struck club captain, Rich Warner, while he was stuck in hospital with a broken leg.
During his stay, he got talking to the hospital chaplain, who told him the children's ward needed a new piece of equipment - a Veinsight VS5000.
"It's a nifty bit of kit," Rich explained, "it greatly assists the insertion of needles into very hard to find veins. Think of poorly babies and children with not much of a heart rate, this machine prevents misses and ultimately reduces bruising and finds the veins without trial and error and without even touching the patient. It’s a fantastic piece of equipment."
Not deterred by the £5k price tag, the group of just 16 members got to work.
Over the last six months, the club and its sponsors, as well as the locals at the Pheasant, have been digging deep for the mission. As well as the annual 'Phez Fest', the pub has hosted regular raffles, a charity auction and a children's egg hunt.
After totting up their total, the group had raised almost £6,000.
"People ask how we raise so much money, we're only a small pub. But it's a testament to the the generosity of our sponsors and the locals that we have here. It's a very lovely, local pub." Rich said.
With the money left over, Rich was able to purchase all of the accessories to go with the piece of equipment as well as troves of crayons, toys and jigsaw puzzles for the ward.
To celebrate the end of the golf season and the amazing achievement, the pub is throwing a handover party on Saturday, October 28 from 6pm.
