A leading financial services company has reached its target and raised some serious cash of its own for three Chester charities.

Staff at M&S Money - including the CEO, directors, and over 28 suppliers – turned out for a charity golf day at the Macdonald Portal Hotel, Golf and Spa in Cobblers Cross Lane, Tarporley.

The event was the fifth annual golf day M&S Money has held at the venue, with this year’s raising a total of £35,000 for three worthy causes.

M&S Money was founded in 1985 as the financial services division of Marks and Spencer Group plc. In November 2004, Marks & Spencer sold M&S Money to HSBC, one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations. The company is now a top-ten credit card provider and the second-largest travel money retailer in the UK.

One of the charities to benefit from the golf day will be The Oliver Newnes Memorial Fund, which was set-up in memory of Oliver Newnes who died in October 2007 of a rare brain abscess at the age of two and a half.

The charity helps to provide essential medical equipment for baby units at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Alder Hey Hospital in Chester.

A third of the money raised by the golfers will go to The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust, which provides adventure holidays and activities for terminally ill, chronically sick, disabled and disadvantaged children from all over the North West.

Money raised will also go towards providing support and help for families of children suffering from cancer through Nicola’s Fund, set up in memory of Nicola Riley who died from a brain tumour five days before her 15th birthday in 2005.

Mike Anslow, Head of Relationship Management at M&S Money, said: “The Portal was extremely accommodating and everyone here at M&S Money had a very enjoyable day – we’ll definitely be back again as it’s a great way to raise a substantial amount for charity, and enjoy ourselves at the same time.”

David Wills, of the Macdonald Portal Hotel, Golf and Spa, said: “It was a really successful day and all three of the charities will benefit hugely from the money raised.

“The charity golf days are always good fun and are really popular with lots of businesses, with many often coming back each year like M&S Money do.”

Notes to editors
Macdonald Hotels & Resorts Limited operates 48 hotels across the UK and ten resorts throughout the UK and Spain.  The company employs over 4,400 staff and operates in excess of 3900 hotel rooms. First established in 1990 by Donald Macdonald and colleagues, the company was floated in 1996 on the main London Stock Exchange. In 2003, it returned to private ownership and was one of Scotland’s biggest public to private deals at a cost of £620m, which was wholly underwritten by the Bank of Scotland.  The Bank now owns 50% of the equity with the remainder held by the management.

The Group’s focus is on developing its strong portfolio of four and five star hotels, with each offering its own character and individuality underpinned with the quality and attention to detail expected of the Macdonald brand. In particular, the company prides itself on the seasonality and provenance of its food within the hotels, from breakfast through to dinner, as well as its wide range of specially selected wines. The Group has recently embarked on a programme of investment and refurbishment that includes properties such as Macdonald Blossoms in Chester, Macdonald Old England in Windermere and Compleat Angler in Marlow.
The Group has also recently created two new hotels – the Macdonald Portal Hotel and Spa was launched in July 2007 on the site of the Portal Championship Golf Course, in Tarporley, Cheshire, and the Macdonald Manchester Hotel, situated in the heart of the city centre, adjacent to Piccadilly Station, opened in October 2007.

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