GOLFERS at a Whitegate club have raised more than £40,000 for a campaign to create a new neonatal intensive care unit at Leighton Hospital.

Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club chose the One in Eleven appeal as its joint charity of the year for the 2011/2012 season.

Club captain Cliff Wood and lady captain Franky MacIver have been fundraising throughout the year, alongside other club members, and presented a sum of £41,735 at the club’s AGM in March.

Cliff said: “The amount we have raised is a testament to the generosity of the club’s members and friends and to how many people locally have had experience of the neonatal unit or know someone who has.

“We have so many people to thank including Leighton Hospital staff and everyone who has helped us throughout the year.”

Members’ fundraising highlights included a memorial charity golf day organised by the Igoe family in memory of former player Michael Igoe, with all the proceeds donated to the charity, coupled with annual fundraiser The Four Nations as well as a concert by The Grange School Choir.

Traditionally, the club captain and lady captain nominate individual charities for fundraising during their year of office, but once Cliff met with representatives from the appeal and staff at the neonatal unit, he knew he had to support them too.

Franky also has a personal connection to the appeal as her granddaughter, Emily, was born in February eight weeks premature and is still being treated in the neonatal unit.

The Mid Cheshire Hospitals Charity One in Eleven Appeal aims to raise £1million during the next two years to expand the neonatal unit and enhance facilities, providing more space and comfort for families during the emotional time.

About 3,000 babies are born at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust every year and one in eleven need additional support – ranging from a few hours of special care to a few weeks in an intensive care unit.

Franky added: “Anyone who has visited the unit would undoubtedly be moved by the quality, dedication and professionalism of the staff.

“It is a very emotional experience and anything we can do to enhance the facilities will make a big difference for families in the future.”