FUND-RAISING TOPS £30,000 AT CASTLE STUART GOLF LINKS

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOURFund-raising efforts at Castle Stuart Golf Links last week saw more than £30,000 raised for Action for Children, Scotland, the Official Charity of The 2011 Barclays Scottish Open.
Spearheading the fund-raising was the Barclays Birdie Pledge, with Barclays Capital pledging £10 for every birdie, £50 for every eagle and £100 for every albatross scored during the tournament.
The pledge was supported by the Tour Players Foundation, the charitable arm of The European Tour, with nearly £24,000 raised as a result of the 1,608 birdies and 54 eagles scored on the course by the star-studded field of professionals.
That figure was supplemented by donations made by the spectators through collections in the tented village and a silent auction in the hospitality units, featuring a wide variety of sports and entertainment lots donated by the event’s sponsors and partners, which added more than £6,000 to the money raised during the week, taking the overall total to £30,770.67.
Ann Darlington, Group Manager of Children’s Services, Scotland, said: “We would like to thank Barclays Capital, The European Tour and the players for raising such a fantastic total, which we are extremely grateful for and will use to further our work with the vulnerable and neglected children of Scotland.”
Peter Adams, Barclays Scottish Open Championship Director, said: “The birdie pledge led by Barclays is a true example of what golf can do for such a good cause as Action for Children and, combined with the other activity that took place on site, everyone involved can be rightly proud of the amount raised.”
Simon Eaton, Managing Director, Barclays Capital, said: “We are delighted that the Barclays Scottish Open raised more than £30,000 for Action for Children, Scotland. This money was raised by a very successful Barclays Birdie Pledge, despite the tournament being shortened to 54 holes, combined with generous donations from The European Tour, the Tour Players Foundation and spectators. The Barclays Scottish Open, in partnership with Action for Children, will now help fund a number of local initiatives, supporting some of the most vulnerable and neglected children in the Highlands of Scotland.”
Action for Children works with vulnerable, disadvantaged, abused, neglected children, young people and their families. In the Highlands alone, they have ten services running concurrently in Inverness (two), Nairn, Forres, Alness and Dingwall, Elgin, Lochaber, Buckie and Aberdeen.