The fundraiser for Noah’s Ark hospice in High Barnet also had other Tottenham Hotspur names turning up like Pat Jennings, Micky Hazard and Paul Miller — as well as Man United’s Steve Coppell and Wimbledon star Dave Beasant.
“I have been to this annual event many times,” Ardiles recalled. “It’s always brilliant to see the amazing work Noah’s Ark does for young people and their families.”
But it didn’t stop there. The golf day staged at the prestigious Grove Hotel near Watford also attracted attention with the star of ITV’s Celebrity Big Brother Chris Hughes dropping by to say hello.
They had a day of golf with a DJ on the green after the 10th hole and ‘Golf Trick Shot Guy’ Paul Barrington offering shots for donations.
Then came the fundraising auction with prizes like a week in Barbados, a box set of McFly v Buster at the O2, tickets to any Saracens Rugby game and sessions at the Centurian, Wentworth and JCB golf clubs.
Noah’s Ark chief executive Sophie Andrews put on a film for them showing the impact the hospice has on the children and families it supports.
She said: “We were lucky to have such dedicated supporters fundraising for us. Our 10th annual golf day was special.”
The legends of the sports world were joined by some of the charity’s commercial business supporters including their corporate partner Tottenham Hotspur FC.
Noah’s Ark helps babies, children and young people with life-threatening or limiting illness and their families, to make the most of every day.
It costs £6 million a year to keep the hospice running — but less than a-quarter of the budget comes from NHS funding. The rest has to be made up from public donations and corporate sponsors to ensure it can continue specialist palliative care for 350 children every year.
The hospice takes in children referred from the London boroughs of Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Camden and Islington, as well as neighbouring Hertsmere.
