James Hopkins Trust Charity Golf Day

Event overview

A good charity golf day leaves people with stories to tell. At the James Hopkins Trust's 2026 event, there was sunshine, a beautiful course and a new award for the best-dressed player. But the most important part of the day can be explained without mentioning a single scorecard: the £11,885 raised will pay for a week of Little Kite respite sessions. That means five days of sessions, with six children attending each day for five and a half hours. For families caring for a medically complex child, that time matters. It is the practical difference behind a fundraising total that Charlene, a fundraiser at James Hopkins Trust, describes as “INCREDIBLE!” “The nursing respite care we provide is free of charge and it enables our families to have some time for themselves,” she explains. “Caring for a medically complex child is a full time job.” Charlene's point is straightforward: parents need time to recharge so that they can keep caring for their children. The golf day helps fund that breathing space. For players and sponsors, it offers a clear connection between an enjoyable day out in Cheltenham and support for families in Gloucestershire. The Trust launched its golf days in 2017. Since then, the event has grown into a fixture with an established home at Lilley Brook Golf Club. By the time of this year's interview, the club had hosted the Trust's golf days for six years, a relationship Charlene sees as an important part of their success. “We launched our Golf Days in 2017 and they have grown massively since then,” she says. Of Lilley Brook, she adds: “It is such a beautiful club and those that attend always speak highly of it.” That kind of familiarity is valuable for an annual fundraiser. A venue people enjoy gives them a reason to return, while a strong relationship with the club gives organisers something to build on. In Charlene's account, the course is not simply a place to hold the event. It has become part of its identity. The 2026 day added another small tradition to that story: a best-dressed award, introduced for the first time. Alongside the sunshine and the fundraising result, it was one of the details Charlene singled out when asked what made the day memorable. A little friendly competition off the scorecard can give a charity event a character of its own. Behind those moments, though, is the less visible work of finding support. Even a golf day that has been running for years still needs businesses willing to back it. Asked about the biggest challenge facing the team, Charlene points to securing sponsors, both for the golf day and for the Trust's other events. “We are very lucky that we have some fantastic local businesses that come back every year to support this event and we maintain that relationship all year long with them,” she says. The important phrase is “all year long”. In her account, sponsorship is a continuing relationship, not a request made only when the next event approaches. Those returning businesses help make the annual golf day possible, while the respite sessions give their support a tangible purpose beyond the course. For another charity considering its first golf fundraiser, Charlene's advice is refreshingly simple: “Start off small and build on it every year.” The Trust's own journey, from launching golf days in 2017 to funding a week of respite through its 2026 event, shows what that steady approach can lead to. There is no suggestion that everything has to be in place from the beginning. The next James Hopkins Trust Charity Golf Day is booked for Thursday 20 May 2027. Charlene says supporters can get in touch about taking part, early-bird pricing or the sponsorship packages available. For bookings, early-bird pricing or sponsorship enquiries, email fundraising@jameshopkinstrust.org.uk. For anyone deciding whether to play or support the next day, the 2026 result makes the invitation easy to understand. A round of golf helped fund five days of care. The memories belong to the people who took part, but the benefit reaches families well beyond the clubhouse.