Golf day raises £3,576 for charity after heartfelt story of reunited patients
We’re incredibly grateful to Craig and Nicky from The Gary Pett Golf Society for organising an amazing charity golf day that raised £3,576 for Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity – specifically for Ward 2 at Florence Nightingale Community Hospital (Palliative Care Ward). This generous donation will go a long way in supporting those patients receiving palliative care.
A tradition in memory of a friend
Craig first organised the golf day in 2017 in memory of a close friend who passed away. What started as a small gesture, has now grown into an annual event and each year Craig and Nicky choose a different charity to support. For 2024, after Nicky’s family experienced exceptional care and compassion of hospital staff, they decided to support Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity.
Nicky’s brother-in-law, Chris, shared a powerful story about his parents, Richard and Julia Hodges, who were both admitted to different Derby hospitals on the same day last July. Mrs Hodges was receiving palliative care at The Florence Nightingale Community Hospital, while Mr Hodges was being cared for at the Royal Derby Hospital. The teams at both hospitals worked tirelessly to reunite the couple for their final moments together. This story gained interest from the media at the time and the following BBC article covers this incredibly moving story in full – read here.
Chris said, “Over one weekend, they changed a dreadful situation into an amazing end and I will always be so grateful to them.” This heartwarming act of kindness from the hospital staff touched Nicky and her family deeply, leading them to choose Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity as the beneficiary for their 2024 golf day.
A day of fun, friendly competition, and community spirit
The event took place on October 4th, 2024, at the stunning Horsley Lodge Golf Club, where 95 golfers gathered to participate in the day’s activities. Staff from Ward 2 were also invited. The event featured a range of exciting challenges, including a Beat the Pro competition, golf activities, a delicious meal with presentation, and a raffle with a chance to win a big-screen TV. The community support was overwhelming, with local businesses stepping up to sponsor prizes and contribute to the day’s success.
Organising an event of this scale takes a lot of time and effort – eight months, in fact – and it’s thanks to the dedication of Craig, Nicky, and the many volunteers including Fiona, Phil, Jayne and Dave as well as sponsors that the day was such a success. This truly is a community event, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped make it happen.


Supporting Ward 2’s Plans for Improvement
£3,576 was raised by holding the golf day. This will go towards plans to update the outdoor space on the ward, making it a more inviting and peaceful environment for patients receiving palliative care and their families.
We want to extend a huge thank you to Craig, Nicky and everyone who contributed to making this golf day such a success. Your generosity will make a real difference in the lives of patients and families at The Florence Nightingale Community Hospital.
If you would like to donate to Ward 2 or any of the departments within our five hospitals visit our donate page Donate – DBHC, alternatively if you would like to support our charity in other ways visit our get involved page Get involved – DBHC for ideas and our latest list of events.