'A Million Miles Of Smiles' - How Variety Golf Continues To Help Disabled And Disadvantaged Children

Variety Golf, previously known as the Variety Club Golf Society, was founded in 1965 to raise money to purchase Sunshine Coaches for disabled and disadvantaged children.

The charity runs fun golf days that feature top courses and top entertainment from a host of the club's celebrities - and it's all for a great cause.

Variety Golf's kind and generous members come from all walks of life, but with the same goal in mind: to enjoy golf in great company at great venues, whilst raising money for the children. It has a large celebrity membership, all of whom willingly give their time, with past captains including Jimmy Tarbuck, OBE, Len Goodman, Anton du Beke, Bernard Gallacher OBE, Sir Geoff Hurst and many other high-profile, successful celebrities and sports stars.

To date, the charity has presented over 1,600 coaches to special needs schools and children’s hospices, averaging over twenty vehicles per year. Variety Golf has also partnered with ‘The Golf Trust’, who organise golf lessons for disabled children at local golf clubs. 

The programme currently operates from 12 schools in and around the Midlands and there are plans to expand this to over 50 schools across the whole country within the next 12 months. 

The cost of a Sunshine Coach can be up to £35,000 and the Golf for Disabled Children programme is approximately £2,500 per year, so Variety Golf needs your help.

SUNSHINE COACHES

So, what is a Sunshine Coach?

The famous Sunshine Coaches, which are used at least five days a week and have an average lifespan of 10-15 years, are provided for schools and organisations that cater for children with special needs. Having their own Sunshine Coach helps schools and care centres plan their activities without worrying about the cost and timing of public transport, knowing that wheelchair access is taken care of.

Trips are organised for recreational, educational and vocational purposes, including accessing the mainstream curriculum at partner schools.

These trips are immensely valuable in allowing inquisitive young minds to explore places they would otherwise never visit, often acquiring new skills and improving self-confidence.

The coaches cost between £30,000-£35,000 and ultimately they’re the reason that many children explore places they would otherwise never get to see as well as helping massively with their social and inter-personal skills development.

WHY CHOOSE TO SPONSOR VARIETY GOLF

There are a number of great reasons to make Variety Golf your chosen charity to help raise much-needed funds to support disabled children. You’ll be helping captain, John Conteh, MBE, raise money for Sunshine Coaches and Golf for Disabled Kids - plus you’ll have a sensational day!

If you raise £30-35,000 you’ll get the chance to present your very own Sunshine Coach to a grateful school, emblazoned with your Company’s name and identity, a hugely visible sign of your generosity and care in the community.

As well as raising funds and playing your part in helping disabled children, you’ll of course enjoy a fabulous golf day fully supported by the Variety Golf team and celebrities who’ll make sure your whole day is one to remember. You will make a difference – and have a lot of fun in the process.

‘Beat the Pro’, after dinner speeches, the auction, entertainment are just some highlights of a Variety Golf day.

Variety Golf also accepts single or regular donations to help fund Sunshine Coaches and the Golf for Disabled Children programme.

CAPTAIN JOHN CONTEH, MBE, SAYS…

“Here are just a few of the things your golf day could include…”

Title Sponsorship, Hole Sponsorship, Brand Visibility, Beat the Pro, Hole in One, Celebrity Partners, Company & Product Endorsement, Sunshine Coach Presentation, After-dinner Entertainment, Dedicated VC Staff, Auction, Social Media & Online Promotion, plus much, much more…

If you're interested in running a golf day with Variety Golf, please get in touch with:

• Sarah-Jane Thompson: 07767214381 and sarahjane@varietygolf.org.uk
• Jamie Little: 07801098101 and Jamie@varietygolf.org.uk

THE VARIETY GOLF PROMISE

"Here’s a promise. Your help will improve a young life - very quickly and in a major way.  We’re a small team. That keeps our costs down, but we need all the help we can get.

"So, whether you fundraise for us, run a corporate or club event or simply donate, your offer of help will be received with open arms. The only people more grateful than us will be the young people whose lives you are about to improve - significantly."

Variety Golf Corporate Membership

Corporate membership is designed to meet the needs of your business whilst entertaining clients at Variety Golf events, which are run by an expert team at top golf courses where a large list of celebrities will be playing and entertaining.

It offers a great opportunity to be part of an amazing Children’s Charity as well as being able to entertain clients at the same time. 

By enlisting your company as a Corporate Member of Variety Club Golf you will be providing membership for four nominated directors or staff to participate, singly or as a team, in all golf events over a period of three years. Variety Golf will also provide brand exposure at all events plus the presentation of a branded Sunshine Coach to round off your Corporate membership. 

How Variety Golf can help you

Variety Golf offers a Corporate Sponsor many options for an event drawn from over 54 years’ experience. Whether you are looking for brand visibility, community goodwill or simply a unique experience for your clients, being a Variety Golf Corporate Sponsor gives you access to all the charity's events, celebrities and a network of like-minded people.

With 20+ Celebrity Golf Events a year, and with Variety Golf's ever-increasing public awareness, there has never been a better time for Variety Golf to be your company’s chosen charity. Whether you want to commit to £10,000 or £100,000, Variety Golf will come up with a package to suit.  

Coverage in the Media and Online

Thanks to the large celebrity membership and coverage in Golf Monthly magazine and other media, Variety Golf can provide an unrivalled opportunity for partners to achieve valuable publicity both in the golfing press and online – as well as via its own website and social media.

Golf clubs

A relationship between Variety Golf and your club can be especially rewarding for many reasons. Clubs can choose Variety as their Captain’s Charity of the Year or hold a Special Golf Day and present a Sunshine Coach emblazoned with your name.

Many golf clubs have already done so, sometimes over a period of two or three years, and Variety Golf is, of course, able to provide entertainment after the event thanks to its large Celebrity membership to really put the shine on the day.

Variety Club Golf Society - Recent Captains

• 2023 John Conteh, MBE
• 2022 Steve Coppell
• 2021 Len Goodman
• 2020 Len Goodman
• 2019 Adger Brown
• 2018 Mark Ramprakash, MBE
• 2017 Stan Boardman
• 2016 Steve Coppell
• 2015 Anton du Beke
• 2013 Kevin Whately
• 2012 Russ Abbot
• 2011 Bernard Gallacher OBE
• 2010 Ray Clemence MBE
• 2003 Sir Geoff Hurst
• 2002 John Conteh MBE
• 2000 Sir Henry Cooper
• 1999 Jimmy Tarbuck, OBE

Variety Golf Testimonials

Jamie Aherne - Managing Director, Edit Residential 

Jamie & his team at Variety Golf have run our Edit Residential Company Golf Day at The Grove for the past four years from start to finish and every detail was handled perfectly.

We were delighted to raise enough funds after two Golf Days to present our own Variety Sunshine Coach to an amazing Special Needs School located just round the corner from our office.     

The satisfaction we get from seeing that actual Sunshine Coach on our way to work makes it so very special.

Paul Thomas - CEO, Synecore

Variety Golf is such a unique charity and we have been thrilled to present five Sunshine Coaches in the last five years at our own Synecore Charity Golf Day. 

To see the smiles on the children’s faces when they receive their own Sunshine Coach makes it all worthwhile. And what’s even better is we get to invite all of our clients to support the event and they all can see where the fundraising goes to! 

Last year, we were invited by the School to meet all the children who told us how much joy the Sunshine Coach has brought to their everyday life. Thanks to Variety Golf for making this happen!

David Welsh - CEO, JOIE BABY UK

JOIE have presented over 20 Variety Sunshine Coaches to 20 Special Needs Schools and Children’s Hospices in the past five years. 

Because JOIE is a baby products company, we couldn’t be happier to support Variety Golf as a Children’s Charity - its such great synergy! 

We are looking forward to presenting another five more Variety Sunshine Coaches in 2023. JOIE are delighted to be a partner of Variety Golf to help us change the lives of so many children for the better and put ‘A million miles of Smiles’ on the children’s faces. 

For more info, visit the Variety Golf website