Pickfords has pledged to raise £50,000 in 18 months in aid of the NSPCC as part of its CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy.

It was a warm but blustery day on 8 June for the Pickfords golf tournament at the Abbey Hotel and Golf Club in Reddich in aid of the NSPCC. Black clouds gathered, thunder rumbled, the wind gusted up to 25 mph and just occasionally the sky opened in short but sharp showers.  Despite the unsettled weather nothing dampened the spirits of the 60+ golfers who took over the whole of the course. Although most competitors were Pickfords employees, there were guest players too including Justin Webster from SIRVA, Greg Paterson and Paula Ganly from the Australian High Commisson, and Stephen Vickers from BAR.  The main sponsor for the event was Mainstream who supply training services to Pickfords.  Mainstream also had seven of their own staff playing in the tournament.

The dry weather of late had left the greens fast to catch out the high handicappers with heavy hands.  The swirling wind too took its toll on even the most experienced.  But even so, there were some impressive scores suggesting that golf was more than an occasional pastime for some.

The tournament was both an individual Stapleford competition and four ball team event with the top two scores counting for each team on each hole.  As the players returned to the clubhouse after around five hours battling the elements, the smiles of joy and the exasperated fixed grins were hard to distinguish.

But whether win or lose the cause of the NSPCC was foremost in everyone’s minds.  Russell Start, Pickfords’ Managing Director, said that Pickfords had adopted the NSPCC as its preferred charity because it wanted to support a national organisation as part of its CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy.  “Having a preferred charity really brings people in the company, from all over the country, together for a common cause,” he said. “We originally pledged to raise £25,000in 18 months but we have now revised our target to £50,000.” It’s a target that Pickfords is well on its way to achieving. During his speech at the prize giving Russell said that he had had the opportunity of visiting the Childline offices (now merged with the NSPCC).  He watched the councillors on the phone to distressed children and saw the queue of lights waiting on the switchboard. “When you see one of those lights go out unanswered it makes you determined to do all you can to provide the facilities the charity needs.”  

As well as Mainstream, the main sponsor, suppliers to Pickfords had each paid to sponsor individual holes around the course. With the revenue from green fees, sponsorship, and the raffle and auction held after the evening dinner, Pickfords estimates that it has raised a further £6,000 from the golf event. “I guess that means we’ll be doing it again next year,” said Russell. 

Individual winners:

• First: Jock Mundy from Mainstream with 45 points
• Second: Justin Webster from SIRVA Relocation with 37 points
• Third: Mick Cousens from Pickfords with 37 points

Team prize winners:

• First: Jock Mundy, Mark Pullen and Mark Lucas from Mainstream
• Second: Russell Start, Pickfords; Stephen Vickers, BAR; Mick Cornish, Agility