A brief history of the Bandidos and our Golf Day.

 

Named the Bandidos after a group of golfers kept winning competitions at Park Wood Golf Club.

After attending the Dreamers Charity Golf Day 1997 it was agreed by the Bandidos to organise our own golf day.

We raised £3,400 for the Golfing Dreamers on our first golf day. During this year we also entered the Longest Day Challenge playing six rounds of golf in 24 hours, raising a further £3,300 for a local hospice. With night golf etc the Bandidos donated over £8,000 to charities in our first year.

 

1998 To organise the golf day we formed a committee, had brochures printed and organised sponsorship. Our main sponsors, The Waterman Group, The John F Hunt Group, Keltbray, and The McGee Group still support us to date. The auction highlight: the McGee Brothers bidding against each other for a football shirt. The day raised £8110 and together with other events we donated over £10,000 to charities this year. To quote Gary we have now created a monster.

 

1999 With the 60 auction /raffle items together with 60 prizes and trophies required each year, we send out about 1500 begging letters six months prior to the day. The golf day raised £15,000 helped by the Hilton Group donating a weekend in Barcelona. Other events this year included playing 4 rounds of golf at different courses in 12 hours. Helping the Bandidos donate £18,000 to charities.

 

2000 To mark the new millennium this year we set ourselves a target £20,000 For The Year 2000. We held a pre golf day disco raising £1500 for local children’s charities. The golf day was a great success raising £31,500. Due to some great auction items: Man Utd signed football, Lennox Lewis signed boxing gloves, the rear of Damon Hills F1 car. The bidding was hectic that night thanks to the O’Keefe brothers and Stuart an old school friend. Our Christmas Ball with John as Father Xmas rounded off the year 2000, a truly fantastic year allowing the Bandidos to donate over £35,000 to worthwhile causes.

        

         2001 A change of venue to Selsdon Park Hotel, with honorary Bandidos

      Presented with ties. The highlight without doubt Tony an architect modelling a latex bobsleigh suit. With a generous donation from O’Keefe the golf day raises £31,000 with the summer and Christmas Balls brought our fund raising to £35,000 bring the total donated over the past 5 years to £105,000

 

         2002 Unfortunately a young girl Tiffany who the Bandidos took to their hearts died of SSPE just before the event. We now realise the difference we make to some very sick children. The golf day raised £26,000 the highlight, the beer buggy. Together with our summer cabaret and Xmas Ball, plus a day for Tiffany kindly donated by Park Wood Golf Club. Night golf for Children in Need sees 2002 raising £31,000 making a grand total of £136,000 raised to date. What sets the Bandidos aside from other societies and fundraisers is the unbelievable goodwill and support we receive each year from the celebrities that continually send auction items. The numerous companies that turn up sponsor and donate. But most of all the hackers, hookers, slicer’s and bandits who help us help make the children’s lives that little bit more bearable. The Bandidos thank you all.