Wolverhampton retiree, David Salt hosted his 15th annual charity golf day, at South Staffordshire Golf Club, and raised more than £15,000 for Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Nearly 170 golfers attended the event on Thursday 6 July. The day included a raffle and auction to raise money for the charity, that supports over 110,000 people in the UK living with one of over 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions, like David.
The 78-year-old was diagnosed with FSHD (Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy) in 1990. It’s a condition that results in weakening of the muscles, often predominantly in the face, shoulder blades and upper arms. It is a condition for which there is currently no cure. For David, the condition mainly impacts his mobility and strength, and he hasn’t been able to play golf for the past eight years, so turned his passion of golfing into a fundraiser.
“I started the charity golf day 15 years ago after retiring. I thought to myself, ‘I’d better do something constructive!’ At the time I was still able to play golf myself so I would invite work colleagues and clients. Ever since, the day has grown and grown – I’d never have imagined it would have gotten this big. Everybody enjoyed it so much they said, ‘we’ll see you again next year’. We had people coming from all over the country.
“We were very lucky with the weather, and we had a record number of people playing – there were 42 teams in total. I really enjoy doing it – I get to see a lot of my friends, and the day does a great job of raising awareness about muscular dystrophy and the amazing work the charity does. It’s great to be able to contribute a serious amount of money to help towards funding further research into the conditions.”
David, a widow of two years, discovered he had FSHD when he was 45 years old, during a company medical check up. “I was struggling to lift my arms above my head. Luckily the condition mostly remained dormant until I hit my sixties. I was fortunate because I was able to continue playing golf and tennis till my late sixties. I miss the golf terribly but I’m extremely lucky that the condition got me so late. Getting around is proving more difficult as time goes on. I’ve got all the necessary aids I need – I have a stair lift at home, I drive using my hands and my fold away scooter helps me get around. I’d never heard of muscular dystrophy prior to being diagnosed.
“I don’t have much power in my legs, so I could be walking and then all of a sudden I have to stop because I can’t go any further. I’ve not had much pain, just general mobility difficulties. Still, I’m getting out and about and I will continue to do so as long as I can. I’ve got to keep myself going and keep busy.”
Phil Heighway, Regional Development Manager for South West, West Midlands and Wales at Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: “David’s continued dedication and commitment to the golf day over the years is admirable. He’s raised an incredible amount for Muscular Dystrophy over the 15 years – in excess of £100,000 – and we couldn’t do what we do without people like him. Every pound raised helps us at Muscular Dystrophy UK to support many of the 110,000 people in the UK living with a muscle-wasting and weakening condition and fund research in the hope of one day finding a cure for these conditions.”
The funds raised from the charity golf day are split between Muscular Dystrophy UK and a small percentage goes to the Muscular Dystrophy Support Centre, for which David is a trustee.