Derby golfer putts children first as he raises more than £22,000 for charity

LOCAL children will be able to enjoy a much-needed holiday next year, thanks to the generous fundraising efforts of a Derbyshire golf club.

Carl Baker chose to raise funds for Derby Kids’ Camp during his year as captain of Kedleston Park Golf Club. And the outgoing captain has raised more than £22,000 for the charity, which celebrates its 50^th anniversary in 2023 and provides breaks for youngsters in the city and county.

He presented Derby Kids’ Camp chairman Chris Edwards with a cheque for £22,300 and said:

“There are many worthwhile and deserving charities, but I was very keen to raise money on behalf of local Derby children, children who were less fortunate than most. Many of us take the simple things for granted, but for many, life is not quite so easy.

“For me, Derby Kids’ Camp ticked all the right boxes. It supports local disadvantaged children who are nominated by either their school or social services as they have a specific need, and it targets the most deserving cases across our city.

“The charity is 100% volunteer run by fantastic and dedicated people, with every penny raised going directly to helping the children.”

Kedleston Park Golf Club raises money each year for charities selected by the captain and ladies’ captain. During his tenure, Carl headed up a series of fundraising events, including a Gentleman’s Evening, Charity Golf Day, an evening function, raffles and an auction.

Outside of these events, a number of generous donations were made by members of the club and their friends, which were added to the grand total.

Derby Kids Camp chairman Chris Edwards said:

“It has been a pleasure to get to know Carl over the past year and witness his genuine warmth and support for the charity.

“We knew that Carl and Kedleston Park Golf Club were working hard to raise money for Derby Kids’ Camp, but to be presented with this fantastic amount was truly incredible! The results will fully fund the much-needed holidays of almost half of the children we support next year – something we hope Carl and his supporting team and colleagues can be hugely proud of.”

Derby Kids’ Camp provides free camping holidays for over 300 local children every summer who are in need of a break for reasons such as financial difficulties, close bereavement, illness in the family, difficulties with social interaction and more.

In its 50 years, an estimated 15,000 children from Derby city and surrounding areas have benefited from a break.

Derby Kids’ Camp raises around £50,000 every year through fundraising, donations and grants in order to offer the holidays. Around 180 dedicated volunteers each year run every aspect of the charity’s operations – from management and planning to building the campsite, maintaining equipment, and staffing the holidays themselves.

Carl added:

“My wife and I were fortunate to visit the camp during the summer. I wanted to see it first-hand and try to fully understand how any money raised would help. The campsite was vast and I was not disappointed – there were approximately 70 children on site for this one week, supported by an enthusiastic team of volunteers from all walks of life, the majority of whom return each year to support the kids.

“I know there are many worthy causes in society, but trust me, Derby Kids’ Camp is as deserving as any.

“It targets the right children, all the money raised is well spent on enjoyment for the children. It has fantastic volunteers, it is well run and above all, puts a smile on so many deserving children’s faces. I would encourage anyone thinking of raising or giving money to charity to consider Derby Kids’ Camp, their money would be well used to benefit children who need support.”

To find out more about each organisation, please visit: www.derbykidscamp.co.uk and www.kedlestonparkgolfclub.co.uk.