Renfrewshire golfers chip in to honour local sporting legend Barclay Howard
A group of kindhearted golfers from Renfrewshire have helped save lives in memory of a close friend who died of leukaemia.
Members of Cochrane Castle Golf Club raised a total of £4,529 for Cancer Research UK.
Jim Shaw helped organize a number of fundraisers including a charity raffle and tournament during his year as club captain.
He was inspired by golf champion Barclay Howard, a well-loved former member of Cochrane Castle Golf Club who won more than 100 amateur tournaments but sadly lost his life to leukemia.
Barclay, who died in May 2008 aged just 55, was considered one of the finest amateur golfers of his day and represented the club, as well as Scotland and the UK, at international golf events.
Last year marked the 25th anniversary of Barclay winning the silver medal for the low amateur at the 1997 British Open, held at the Royal Troon Golf Club.
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He also played for the GB and Ireland team in the 1996 Eisenhower Trophy. Today there is a plaque at the beginning of the Cochrane Castle Golf Course dedicating the first hole to Barclay Howard.
Jim Shaw told that Paisley Daily Express: “Cancer affects so many families, so we wanted to do whatever we could to support the research that will save lives.
“Barclay was a good friend to many of us at Cochrane Castle Golf Club. I also lost my own mother to cancer, so I’ve seen firsthand how devastating the disease can be.
“I have been a member of the golf club for 41 years and have met some of my best friends there and have been honored to serve as club captain.
“I was delighted to have chosen Cancer Research UK as our official charity during my year in office and would like to thank everyone who helped make the fundraiser a success.”
Around 33,900 people are diagnosed with cancer in Scotland each year and one in two people born after 1960 in the UK will develop cancer in their lifetime.
Jane Dempster, Manager of Superstores Cancer Research UK in Paisley, said: “We are incredibly grateful to all members of Cochrane Castle Golf Club for their support.
“Every step we take to beat cancer depends on every pound, every hour, and every person. Cancer survival rates in the UK have doubled since the early 1970s and the work of Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of this progress.
“However, we were only able to do this thanks to the dedication and commitment of volunteers and supporters such as members of the Cochrane Castle Golf Club, without whom we would not be able to fund our life-saving research.”
Cancer Research UK invested more than £33 million in research in Scotland over the last year.
For more information about the work of Cancer Research UK or to find out how you can support the charity, please call 0300 123 1022 or visit cruk.org
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