AN annual golf tournament which has been run for more than a quarter of a century is planning to bag even more money for charity at its latest staging at Newport’s Celtic Manor Resort.

Organiser South Wales businessman Roger Gambarini raised £12,500 through the staging of last year’s charity golf day in aid of St David’s Hospice Care at Celtic Manor.

The total raised over the years now stands at £287,500. The event this year with awards dinner immediately afterwards will be held on Tuesday, June 27, on the Roman Road course at Celtic Manor.

Roger, who was Celtic Manor’s Twenty Ten Club captain for 2015 and is consultant with South Wales based Office Visions Ltd, said: “It’s a fantastic honour and privilege for me to be able to stage our annual charity golf day at Celtic Manor. It’s a perfect setting for us and allows us to raise a considerable amount for St David’s Hospice Care.”

Among those businesses which have taken part and remained with Roger every stroke of the way over the past 26 years are MDW Haulage, Nuaire, Savills, Harding Evans Solicitors, Acorn Recruitment, R E Phillips and Partners, Newsquest, SRK, Hazell’s Haulage and Whitehead Building Services.

Roger, who staged his first golf day in 1991, has a special reason for supporting the charity: “My brother did a lot of fundraising for St David’s Hospice Care, which is why I initially began organising the golf day, however, when my father was ill in 1992, he was looked after by the nurses from St David’s Hospice, who were fantastic.

“The golf day is my way of supporting the charity that supported my family at a very difficult time. The golf charity fund raiser has grown in stature to such an extent over the years and is now so popular that people look forward to being involved every year. Usually we have the support of approximately 40 teams.”

Emma Saysell, chief executive of St David’s Hospice Care, said: “Roger and the team at Office Visions have provided wonderful support to St David’s Hospice Care over very many years. We know from our own experiences just how difficult it is to organise fundraising events. To keep his golf days going into the 27th year is a truly amazing and commendable achievement and one for which we are all extremely grateful.”

The cost per team for the Office Visions Golf Day, inclusive of dinner for four, is £495. Partners are encouraged to join for dinner at an additional £35 per person. For tickets or more information, please contact Roger Gambarini by email: roger@ovwl.co.uk