A CHARITY golf day organised in honour of a Newton Abbot grandfather’s grandson has raised more than £11,000 for good causes.

The 14th annual Charlie’s Trophy charity golf day, held at Dainton Park Golf Club, raised an impressive £11,350, taking the total raised by the event over the past 14 years to £178,198.

Organised by Rotarian Martin Smith, the event was originally established in 2013 to support the Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome (RTS) Support Group, after his grandson Charlie Lawlor was diagnosed with the rare genetic condition.

Since then, Charlie’s Trophy has grown into a major fundraising event supporting more than 20 charities, with around £135,000 having previously been donated to good causes.

This year’s main beneficiaries were Rowcroft Hospice and Teignbridge Community Project (TCP), which will each receive £4,000.

A further £1,200 will go to both Vranch House and Combe Pafford School, while Dainton Juniors and Seniors will receive £350 and £100 respectively.

The RTS Support Group will receive £500 to help fund research into Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome.

A total of 128 golfers took part in the event, with the Trophy for the lowest gross score going to Cox Automotive, led by Mark Wilkinson.

The Shield for the lowest net score was won by Salty, led by Mike Hall, and was presented by Charlie.

Charlie's Trophy 2026
Team Salty pictured with Charlie (Martin Smith)

The charity and whiteboard auctions also proved a major success, raising just under £3,000.

Main sponsor System6 Kitchens were offering a kitchen worth £10,000 for a hole in one.

Auctioneer Richard Worrall from Charles Darrow helped keep the bidding moving throughout the day.

There was plenty of fun alongside the fundraising, including a ‘Snooting’ competition – a combination of snooker and putting – while Paignton-based Mantracom ran a Marshmallow Challenge.

The event was also very much a family affair, with Martin’s family helping throughout the day.

His other grandson, promising young golfer Harry Fuller, even challenged the competitors to beat him on the 15th hole.

Martin thanked everyone who played, sponsored the event, donated prizes or helped make the day a success.