Double celebrations as Wiedenmann UK’s charity Terra Spike heads for Ombersley GC

Val Grahamin Industry News

Photo A without cheques Wiedenmann UK at Ombersley GCHow fitting that Wiedenmann UK's 20th Anniversary charity Terra Spike has found a home at Ombersley GC another family-led business celebrating two decades of activity.

In September at Saltex, David Rae, Wiedenmann UK's managing director launched a charity auction among Wiedenmann dealers to recognise that the fledgling company he started as a 24-year-old had come of age. Donating a one-off version of Wiedenmann's newest and fastest selling aerator - painted the 20th anniversary 'colour' platinum - was his way of 'giving something back'.

The bespoke Terra Spike GXi8 HD was 'won' initially by dealer T H White of Redditch. Alun Wright, T H White Key Accounts Sales Manager said: "From the outset T H White was keen to be involved. Even when times are tight, charity can't be forgotten."

The Redditch team then found a buyer in the Dowty family who head up Ombersley GC just outside Kidderminster, Worcestershire. Farm land belonging to the Dowty family was cultivated in 1990 and the golf course subsequently opened in September 1991 as a play and play facility.

Andrew Halfpenny, Course Manager at Ombersley GC who has worked for the family for over 30 years said: "We were looking for a deep fast aerator that would perform on greens and tees yet still suited our fairways. Guided by T H White's, Simon Bingham, we had established that the Wiedenmann GXi8 HD was the one. Nothing matched it for speed or versatility. Our original plan was to have purchased early in 2011 but the really harsh winter 2010/11 affected our income for two months so we deferred our investment for a year.

Photo C   Andrew Halfpenny Ombersley GC"After Saltex I read in the trade press about the platinum machine and it struck a chord. Uncannily Wiedenmann UK was launched within the same time frame as Ombersley. It made me wonder… Within a matter of a few weeks the sale had happened and all the pieces just fitted naturally."

The benefiting charities are Cancer Research UK and The Multiple Sclerosis Society who will both share a donation in excess of £20,000. Representatives of both attended a special presentation event at the Worcestershire club.

Sharon Sheridan, Area Volunteer Manager for Cancer Research UK said: "We are so pleased to have been chosen to receive this donation and want to say a huge thank you. Cancer Research UK is making significant progress in understanding and treating cancer, yet one in three of us will still get cancer at some point in our lives. Our work is funded entirely by the public and this donation will go a long way."

Nicola Tallett, MS Society Director of Fundraising and Marketing said: "An estimated 100,000 people have multiple sclerosis (MS) in the UK. We offer hope for the future by investing in MS research and this money will help us to continue to fund groundbreaking projects to improve diagnosis, treatments and services. We're very grateful for support from Wiedenmann UK."

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