A golf day at Clyne Golf Club has raised £14,000 for Swansea kidney charity Popham Kidney Support — the biggest total in the event’s nine-year history.
Fifty teams took part on Friday 10 July, also a record, with businesses and supporters travelling from across the UK.
The money goes to the charity’s children and young people’s services — support for young kidney patients whose condition, the charity says, often brings poorer mental wellbeing and knocks to independence and confidence alongside the physical toll.
Popham Kidney Support was founded in 2013 as The Paul Popham Fund, in memory of Paul ‘Wally’ Popham — father of its chief executive, Joanne Popham.
It now runs peer support, counselling, education and activity days across Wales, and says it has supported more than 3,000 people in the past year. It marked a decade of service with a Wally’s Way fundraiser at Morgans Hotel in 2023, and holds the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
The day itself
The event was organised by trustee Kim Loosmore, with donations from Jon Lewis, chief executive of Shirgar Butter, and Keith Jones, founder of GG’s Gelato, covering the staging costs — so more of the money raised went to the charity’s services.
A post-round auction — with prizes donated by CEM Day, Dawsons Estate Agents, Yuasa Batteries, Morgans Hotel and other local businesses — raised £4,990 of the total.
The tournament was won by AC Doors — Stuart Jones, Andrew Colwill, Mike Hassett and Steve Rees.
St Mary’s Square — Alex O’Brien, Andy O’Brien, Ben Loosmore and Harry Loosmore — took second, with S.D. Harris Car Sales — Robert Mills, Simon Harris, Martin Allchurch and Cliffy Doel — third.
FAI Automotive sponsored the main prize, with David North Personal Training sponsoring the longest drive and Days Rental nearest the pin.
‘Our biggest yet’
Mr Loosmore said: “It’s fantastic to see the event continue to grow year after year. Reaching 50 teams and raising a record amount is great news for the charity and reflects the generosity of everyone who supported the day.”
“A huge thank you to every business, sponsor, player and volunteer who helped make this year’s event our biggest yet.”
Joanne Popham said the charity was “always amazed and truly humbled by the immense generosity of our local community in Swansea and beyond.”
“Kidney disease affects people in different ways, bringing both significant physical challenges and others that are less immediately visible,” she said. “It impacts not only those diagnosed, but also their families and loved ones, who often carry that experience alongside them.”
The charity’s profile has grown steadily: Swans legend Lee Trundle became a patron in 2023, the same year it landed £489,477 in National Lottery funding over five years.
