Women golfers raising thousands for charity | Harewood Downs captain’s record year | Women & Golf
Meta Description: Harewood Downs Golf Club captain Cathy Myers raised a record £17,282 for Cure Parkinson’s through a year of creative fundraising – adding to the hundreds of thousands raised by women golfers for good causes every year.
Keywords/Tags: women golfers charity, golf club captain fundraising, Cure Parkinson’s, Harewood Downs Golf Club, women in golf, golf charity events, Cathy Myers
Harewood Downs captain smashes fundraising record with £17,000 for Parkinson’s research
Every year, women golfers across the UK raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for good causes. Captain’s charities, ladies’ section events, gala days, raffles – the fundraising effort across women’s golf is relentless, and too often goes unrecognised. At Women & Golf, we think it deserves a much bigger spotlight.
Cathy Myers has given us the perfect reason to shine one.
As captain of Harewood Downs Golf Club in Buckinghamshire, Cathy chose Cure Parkinson’s as the club’s charity of the year for 2025 and threw everything at it. Her final total of £17,282 is the highest amount ever raised by a Harewood Downs captain – and a fundraising effort any club in the country would be proud of.
A year of events
Cathy, who lives in Chalfont St Giles, planned a full calendar of fundraising throughout her captain’s year. Events included a bridge drive, a pre-loved golf clothing sale, a high-value raffle with prizes including a champagne afternoon tea for two at The Dorchester, and a gala day featuring on-course challenges followed by an evening buffet.
The highlight was a wine auction and dinner with guest speaker Ian Mill KC, who entertained guests with stories from his career at the bar and generously provided all the wines for the evening – including three bottles from his own personal collection.
“My experience of fundraising was mainly very positive and brought out the competitive side of me, as I was determined to raise more money for charity than previous captains,” Cathy said. “My biggest ‘wow’ moment came when a club member bid a staggering £2,000 in the auction.”
A cause close to the heart
But the competitive drive was only part of the story. Cathy’s reason for choosing Cure Parkinson’s was deeply personal.
“I chose to support Cure Parkinson’s because one of my oldest and dearest friends, Janis, lives with this chronic, progressive, neurological condition,” she said. “Janis has understandably found it a challenge to come to terms with the diagnosis and I wanted to do something positive to help. Cure Parkinson’s appealed to me because its funding is dedicated to research.”
Recognition from the charity
To mark the achievement, Cure Parkinson’s chair of trustees Mike Ashton visited Harewood Downs to receive the cheque in person.
“The amount Cathy has raised over the course of a year is incredible, and a real testament to her drive and commitment to the cause,” Mike said. “We aim to cure Parkinson’s, and the only way we will do this is through the help of our wonderful supporters like Cathy.”
Women golfers making a difference
Cathy’s story is one of thousands happening quietly at golf clubs the length and breadth of the country. Women golfers don’t just play the game – they give back, year after year, in ways that make a real and lasting difference beyond the clubhouse.
We love hearing your fundraising stories. If your club has raised money for a great cause this year, get in touch – we want to shout about it.
To find out more about Cure Parkinson’s or to organise your own fundraising events, visit cureparkinsons.org.uk/get-involved/fundraise-for-us.
