The team at Elders Inglewood pulled out all the stops for their annual charity golf day, in support of RACQ LifeFlight.
L-R: Bek Goudie, Elders Inglewood SSO, Carissa Hammond, Elders Inglewood Rural Products Sales Rep, Ben Hammond, Elders Inglewood Branch Manager.
87 players attended the event at the Inglewood Golf Club on Saturday 30 October, which happens to be over 10 per cent of the town’s population.
Organised by the team at Elders Inglewood, just over $4,500 was raised in support of the RACQ LifeFlight charity.
The branch began holding the golf day following the 2021 floods in Inglewood, as a way to bring the community together to celebrate the work that LifeFlight did to help out during the floods.
Carissa Hammond, Rural Products Sales Representative at the branch, explained that it has continued as an annual event.
“The day is not only about giving back to Lifeflight, it is also a valuable mental health outlet for the community,” she said.
“It has been a pretty dry season this year and it’s always important to have a good catch up and laugh where we can.”
Branch manager Ben Hammond said that some attendees did not pick up a club, but showed their support in other ways.
“Everyone pitched in where they could, helping behind the bar or manning the barbeque, we even had a community member who didn’t have a car attend - that’s dedication,” he said.
Other than their annual golf day, the branch is involved in numerous other community initiatives within the Inglewood region.
One such initiative has included combatting crime in the town, this has seen Ben and Carissa generously fund the instillation of CCTV cameras and hold information nights between the community and the local police force. They hope these efforts will increase community engagement and crime reporting.
As members of the Inglewood Show Committee, the team at the Inglewood branch also annually sponsor the commercial cattle event at the show. This event is vital to the community, and it is through the branch’s support that it is able to continue through climatic events, including droughts and floods.
Ben emphasised that bringing their community together is extremely important.
“Operating in small rural communities, we need to be seen out in the community as the driving force behind these initiatives,” he said.
“They not only benefit the charities we support, but the local businesses who host them and the community itself.”
Elders Inglewood don’t only pledge the funds, time and effort of the branch but often give back in a personal capacity.
“This year I have signed up to be president of the local school Parents and Citizens Motorbike Trail Ride” Ben said.
“This has involved may hours of work over the weekends and in my spare time. However, has been so important as we have managed to raise $65,000 which will all go back to the local school. The funds will ensure the kids in our small country school have all the opportunities that the kids in big city schools do”.
Bek, Ben and Carissa all agree that being active in the community is one of the main ways they can show customers and clients support. At the end of the day ‘you get what you give’.
Meet the team:
Meet the team
