Golf day raises over £25,000 for Special Care Baby Unit

Event was an acknowledgement of what unit did for business owner’s twin daughters.

Eastbourne Car Auctions (ECA) held a charity golf day last month at the Royal Eastbourne Golf Club, raising £25,000 for the Trevor Mann Baby Unit in Association with the Early Birth Association.  

A total of 96 golfers competed during the day, with IEP Financial finishing as the overall winners and Caffyns A finishing as close runners-up. 

Following the main event, 120 people sat down for a dinner and charity auction. They were entertained by sporting impressionist and comedian Arron James. Raffle prizes included a Brighton and Hove Albion T-shirt signed by the players, a stay in a luxury villa in Marbella, a sunset beach cruise and many more. 

The Trevor Mann Baby Unit is a based at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and is a specialist department for premature and sick new-borns and is a charity close to ECA’s heart. 

Jon Mitchell, Managing Director at ECA, found himself at the special care unit after his twin daughters, Amelia and Eleanor, were born prematurely at 30 weeks. Both girls received lifesaving neonatal care and now, aged 18, are fit and healthy – and looking forward to starting university in September.  

Jon said: “This was our first charity golf day, and it was a huge success. We are so pleased to have raised such a large amount of money for the Trevor Mann Unit and we would like to thank all of our sponsors and all those who attended for their generosity. 

“Claire and I are so grateful for the support we received from the Special Care Unit when our girls were born 18 years ago. We hope that these funds can help the Trevor Mann unit to continue to care for other families who find themselves needing support.” 

Over 600 babies are treated at the Trevor Mann unit every year. To find out more about the work the unit is doing, visit: https://www.bsuh.nhs.uk/tmbu/ 

To find out more about the Early Birth Association, visit: https://www.earlybirth.co.uk/.