Entries wanted for hospice golf day

Former West Brom star supports Birmingham St Mary’s corporate fundraiser.

Former West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal defender Brendon Batson OBE has been announced as this year’s guest speaker at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice’s Corporate Golf Day in May.

Following the golfing action at Sandwell Park Golf Club on the 25th May, Batson, who was part of West Brom’s trio of black players, including Laurie Cunningham and Cyrille Regis, dubbed the Three Degrees in the 1970s, will be taking part in a Q&A session in the evening. He will be open to answering questions about his career, his work for equality in the game and his personal experience of Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice.

Brendon has been a passionate supporter of the charity following the death of his wife Cecily in 2009 after a six-month battle with a brain tumour. During the last weeks of Cecily’s life, Brendon was touched to his core by the care and support from nurses at the Hospice so she was able to be cared for at home.

“I wanted to keep Cecily at home as much as I could and the Hospice was fantastic. Until you experience something like this you don’t appreciate how magnificent their work is,” he says. “It’s important to me to help the Hospice, to funds and raise awareness of the great work that they do. Although old injuries prevent me from taking part in the tournament, I’m honoured to be supporting the Golf Day and look forward to taking part in the Q&A.”

For further details of how to join Brendon at this year’s golf event and to help support the vital services of Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, please contact Pamela Hodgetts on [email protected]