Leuchie House has been named Official Charity of the 2021 abrdn Scottish Open, which is taking place at the Renaissance Club this week (July 8-11).
As it celebrates its tenth anniversary as an independent charity, Leuchie House will benefit from a range of fundraising activities during tournament week, as some of the world’s leading golfers including US Open champion and world no.1 Jon Rahm and Major winners Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas tee it up in North Berwick.
The fundraising will include a Birdie Pledge from title sponsor abrdn and the European Tour of £15 per birdie and £100 per eagle made across the four tournament days. It is part of the ‘Every Birdie Counts’ campaign which runs throughout 2021 under the umbrella of the European Tour’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme, Golf for Good.
UNICEF will be the sole charitable beneficiary of the ‘Every Birdie Counts’ campaign across the entire European Tour season, but at the four Rolex Series events, nominated charities such as Leuchie House will benefit separately.
Leuchie House is Scotland’s only dedicated respite centre offering caring respite breaks to people with long term neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease. Leuchie House is able to support people with many different conditions to have fulfilling, revitalising breaks, while giving their carers time away from caring.
Situated in East Lothian, just a few miles from the abrdn Scottish Open venue, Leuchie House previously benefitted from charitable funds raised at the tournament in 2018 and 2019. This facilitated modernisation of a range of facilities and services, including the construction of state-of-the-art wet rooms, transformation of shared bedrooms and the installation of new boilers. Investment was also made in the building’s broadband and wi-fi infrastructure, computers, and emergency call and care planning systems.
Mark Bevan, CEO of Leuchie House, said: “We are thrilled to once again be the Official Charity of the 2021 abrdn Scottish Open. The tremendous support received from the hosts, organisers, players and spectators in previous years has been transformational for Leuchie. It has allowed us to invest in our service and facilities for the benefit of families from across Scotland living with the long-term effects of a neurological condition. Following the immense challenges faced over the last year, the need for respite has never been greater and this year’s funds will help the families we support recover from the impact of the pandemic with a much-needed break and support.”
Rory Colville, Championship Director of the abrdn Scottish Open, said: “We are delighted to once again partner with Leuchie House as the Official Charity of the abrdn Scottish Open, as they celebrate their tenth year as an independent charity. It has been fantastic to see funds raised during previous editions of the tournament making a meaningful difference to both the services provided at Leuchie House and the building itself. It is such an important charity in the local area and beyond, as demonstrated by its re-provisioning during the Covid-19 pandemic, as those in need continued to benefit from exceptional care and support.”
Simon Bailey, Head of Brand at abrdn, said: “We take pride in our efforts to support community initiatives alongside our sponsorships, and we are thrilled to have Leuchie House on board again as the official event charity of the abrdn Scottish Open. We are pleased to be working alongside the European Tour to fundraise for such a great cause via our Birdie pledge, and I look forward to watching plenty of birdies roll in over the course of the event.”