In 2023, the Men’s captain of Newmarket Links Golf Club, Keith Fountain, chose Thera East Anglia as his choice for Charity of the Year. The Golf Club and its members sprang into action and raised money through a variety of events such as a second handbag sale, family fun days, and quiz nights. Many members of the club also generously donated directly in the clubhouse and restaurant.
Newmarket Golf Club fundraises for various charities every year, with the Men’s and Ladies captains choosing one charity each to fundraise for the year and the total funds are split equally between the two organisations at the end of the year. The total raised for Thera East Anglia came to £10,028!
Keith chose Thera East Anglia due to his brother, Graham, being supported by them. In a speech on why he chose Thera East Anglia, he said:
Quite simply they go the extra mile in an attempt to make lives worth living for the people they support and from a personal viewpoint I know that our family could not manage without them. Their staff are the classic unsung heroes. So, I hope you will understand that this is nomination is by way of trying to give a little back to a group of people that have done such a lot for my family. I sincerely believe that we could not manage without them.
Members of Thera East Anglia staff were presented with the cheque on Thursday 2 May. We are very thankful to Keith, the golf club and its members for raising this incredibly generous sum of money. The money raised will go towards people with a learning disability in Thera East Anglia to live the lives they choose and further our vision that people with a learning disability can be leaders in society. It will also help introduce new initiatives such as a reverse job fair where the people supported by Thera East Anglia can meet employers in the local area.
Speaking about the impact of the money raised, Emily Wheeler, Managing Director of Thera East Anglia, said:
I would like to thank everyone involved in raising this money and especially to Keith for thinking of Thera East Anglia and for his kind words. This money will make a difference to a large number of people we support across the whole of East Anglia. Some of the funds are being used to improve the sensory room in Norfolk where we support people with shortbreaks. Our community support team are planning a number of events in St Ives which will include the people we support, the wider community and other groups who support people in their homes and communities. We are excited to offer the reverse jobs fair in Peterborough, this is a new event for us, please see our social media for more information. We will share more stories and news of these events over the coming months.