NEW CAPTAINS REVEAL THEIR CHOSEN CHARITIES

THE new captains at Royal Dornoch have revealed their chosen charities for the next 12 months.

Colin MacKay and Debbie Bethune have selected the East Sutherland Rescue Association and Dornoch Beach Wheelchairs to benefit from various fundraising events centred around the golf club.

The three-day Captains’ Weekend for members set the ball rolling, with an array of auction and raffle prizes donated for a well-attended dinner in the clubhouse, raising a record £7,000-plus.

The support for ESRA maintains ties between the club and the self-funded local lifeboat crew forged by previous captains Gary Bethune and Rosemary Muschamp.

A £28,000 cheque was presented recently to Antony Hope, chair and helmsman with the rescue team based near the 16th fairway on the Championship Course, with mental health charity Mikeysline receiving £40,000.

Colin said: “Debbie and I wanted to continue the club’s support for ESRA, which has a proven track record of saving lives, and Dornoch Beach Wheelchairs is another fine local charity.

“The timing of the last cheque presentation could not have been better, as both their lifeboats were requiring urgent and expensive repairs.

“The volunteers carry out an important role in the community given our location on the Dornoch Firth and the charity is totally reliant on public support.”

Colin’s partner Lynn’s father, Tim Jarvis, was one of the ESRA founders in the early 1980s.

And earlier this year Debbie accompanied husband Gary on a training exercise and learned more about what ESRA and the team does year-round.

She said: “I know how vital the club’s support proved to be this year as they faced digging deep into their cash reserves to pay for the essential repair work.”

ESRA donated two training exercise packages to go under the hammer at the weekend dinner.

Dornoch Beach Wheelchairs was established six years ago and provides five state of the art wheelchairs to enable anyone with disabilities to enjoy the fabulous beach Dornoch has on its doorstep.

Colin said: “They do marvellous work in the community, working from premises at the Dornoch Beach car park.

“They provide free use of special wheelchairs which don’t get bogged down or sink into the sand.

“Some of them can even enter the sea so the user can paddle in the water, often with members of family or one of the volunteers for company.”