Former players from Liverpool’s illustrious past will be raising money to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Wirral Holistic Care Services Therapeutic Cancer Care.

Chief executive Dorothy Crowther set up Wirral Holistic Care Services in the Wirral in 1988 to offer psychological and emotional support to cancer patients through a wide range of support services, including complementary therapies and counselling.

The organisation is again hosting its annual Gerry Marsden MBE Charity Golf Day at the Macdonald Portal Hotel, Golf and Spa in Cobblers Cross Lane, Tarporley.

Ian St John, Alan Kennedy, Roger Hunt and Tony Hateley will be joined on Thursday, September 4, by horse racing trainers Ginger and Beryl McCain, singer Charlie Landsborough and former Everton manager Gordon Lee.

Following 18 holes of golf on the Championship course, the sporting celebrities and corporate golfers will enjoy a three-course dinner at the hotel where the Gary Murphy Band will play and Gerry Marsden will present the prizes to the winning teams.

Dorothy said the charity golf day raised £7,000 at Portal last year.

“This is one of our main fundraising initiatives of the year and since this is our 20th year, it would be fantastic if we could match or even better last year’s total,” she said.

“Events like this are really important to the care services that our team of dedicated nurses and therapists are able to provide to our patients and their families.

“We are grateful to all the former Liverpool players and local businesses for giving up their time and providing their financial help to support our charity golf day once again.

“Gerry Marsden is our patron and he will participate in the entire day from lunchtime onwards and I am sure it will be a memorable 20th anniversary event.”

Paul Spencer, general manager of the Macdonald Portal Hotel, Golf and Spa, said this was the fourth time the charity had held its annual golf day at the venue.

“We have undergone many changes over the last 20 years just as Wirral Holistic Care Services has grown to expand the range of services that it offers,” he said.

“I hope this will be its best golf day yet to ensure the charity raises as much money as possible to mark its special year in style.”

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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