Fundraising spotlight: Top Meadow Golf Club's Charity of the Year journey
When Craig Winters became Golf Captain at Top Meadow Golf Club, one of his most important and exciting decisions was choosing a Charity of the Year.
Wanting to support a local charity making a difference for children and families, Craig chose Kids Inspire after learning more about our work across Essex and Suffolk.
Since then, club members, friends and family have been throwing themselves into fundraising, turning one captain's decision into a community effort to support children's mental health.
Why have Top Meadow Golf Club chosen to support Kids Inspire?
What stood out to Craig was the way Kids Inspire supports children, young people and families through some of life's toughest moments, helping them feel heard, understood and supported.
After meeting our Fundraising Manager, Rachael, and learning more about the work Kids Inspire delivers across Essex, the decision became clear.
“I’m really proud to support Kids Inspire because they do such amazing work supporting children and young people through difficult times, including those who have experienced trauma.
Knowing that the money we raise can help them continue this work makes it all the more worthwhile. I’m so happy that the golfers at Top Meadow have embraced Kids Inspire and got behind the charity.”
Craig also reflected on what made Kids Inspire stand out to him:
"After meeting Rachael and hearing first-hand about the meaningful programmes and initiatives that Kids Inspire runs, it was clear this was the cause I wanted to champion. The energy, dedication and real-world impact of the charity perfectly match the spirit I hope to bring to my captaincy."
In a wonderful coincidence, it was only after choosing Kids Inspire that Craig discovered a colleague is a volunteer mentor for us. Hearing first-hand stories about the young people they had supported made the connection feel even more special and reinforced that he'd made the right choice.
As Craig and the club learned more about our work, they were particularly inspired by our vision for a permanent home for Kids Inspire. Their fundraising will help sponsor one of the future therapy rooms in our new building, creating a space where children, young people and families can access mental health support for years to come.
You can read more about our vision for A Home for Kids Inspire on our dedicated webpage.
A whole community getting involved
One of the things we love most about fundraising is seeing how different people choose to support Kids Inspire in their own way, and Top Meadow Golf Club has embraced that spirit from day one.
Some chose to run, others cycled, and some took on golf challenges that pushed them to their limits, all in support of children's mental health.
Brentwood Half Marathon
The club's fundraising got off to a flying start when Craig's son, Lewis, took on the Brentwood Half Marathon in support of Kids Inspire.
Completing 13.1 miles, including the event's challenging climb towards the finish, Lewis helped raise both funds and awareness for children's mental health across Essex, proudly wearing a Kids Inspire t-shirt along the way.
The Longest Day challenge
In June, Lewis teamed up with fellow golfers Ben, Danny and Arun to take on an incredible endurance golf event during the summer solstice.
Together, they played 100 holes of golf in a single day, starting at 04:45am, and going all the way until 10pm, walking an astonishing 34.6 miles around the course. It was certainly a memorable way to spend the longest day of the year while raising money for children's mental health.
The team had even arranged their own Kids Inspire branded polo shirts for the challenge, which was such a lovely way to show their support.
Captain's Golf Day
Support for Kids Inspire has been woven into club life.
Craig organised Top Meadow's Captain's Golf Day which brought members together for a Texas Scramble competition, combining friendly rivalry and fundraising for Kids Inspire.
By this point, Kids Inspire had already become much more than the year's chosen charity. It had become a cause that people across the club genuinely wanted to support and felt passionate about. This event alone raised over £5,000!
London to Brighton Bike Ride
The fundraising continued in September when Craig's other son, Dan, and his partner, Emily joined a team of 35 cyclists taking on the iconic London to Brighton Bike Ride.
Together, they conquered the challenging route from Clapham Common to Brighton Seafront where our Fundraising Team was there to congratulate them at the finish line.
What Charity of the Year partnership can look like
The activities above are just a snapshot of the many ways Craig, his family and the wider Top Meadow Golf Club community have chosen to support Kids Inspire. And with plenty more planned in the months ahead, their fundraising journey is far from over.
Together they’ve already raised over £10,000, and they’re only just over halfway through their year of support.
One of the things we value most about partnerships, and particularly Charity of the Year, is the flexibility they provide. Unrestricted funding allows us to respond to the needs of children, young people and families as they arise, while some supporters choose to direct their fundraising towards a particular area of our work that resonates with them.
For Top Meadow Golf Club, that connection is our vision for a Home for Kids Inspire. Funds raised throughout Craig's captaincy will contribute towards sponsoring a future therapy room in our new building, creating a lasting legacy from their year of support.
Whether directed towards a specific project or used where the need is greatest, every pound raised helps us support the mental health and wellbeing of children, young people and families across Essex and Suffolk.
If you're part of a business, community group, sports club or organisation looking for a Charity of the Year partner, we'd love to hear from you.