A day before the start of Wimbledon, the tennis section at Exeter Golf and Country Club hosted the inaugural Devon Women’s Doubles Charity Cup for Children’s Hospice South West. The event has raised over £2,000 for the charity.
48 players from across the county came together for a full day of tennis. The only break in a busy schedule of 52 matches was for a superb array of refreshments for lunch and tea, all prepared by the event organiser and women’s tennis captain, Vanessa Killick.
This year’s tennis tournament was to raise funds for Children’s Hospice South West to support the charity’s efforts to provide essential care and services to children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
The tournament began with two opening rounds which set the stage for the rest of the event, offering a glimpse of the competitive yet friendly spirit that characterised the day.
Following these initial matches, the pairs were divided into three grades giving everyone an opportunity to compete for prizes.
All grades ended up with a good combination of youth and experience, home and visiting pairs. One of the closest matches of the tournament was the A Grade semi-final between the teenage pairing of Srasta/Ella and Jo Little/Denise Campbell who made a very strong pair having been put together from different clubs for this event. It was Jo and Denise who prevailed in the final deciding game to proceed to the final against another home pair and first seeds, Emily Staddon and Juliet Chenery. The top seeds lived up to their billing with a 6-4 win to be crowned the inaugural champions.
A Grade
Winners: Emily Staddon and Juliet Chenery
Runners-Up: Jo Little and Denise Campbell
B Grade
Winners: Sue Williamson and Alice Yarde
Runners-Up: Veronica Barker and Tricia Emery
C Grade
Winners: Andrea Guimaraes and Alice Johnson
Runners-Up: Jacki Cole and Sally Dowle
Congratulations to all of the winners and runners-up.
Rodney Spilling Wealth Management and South West Metal Finishing played crucial roles in the success of the Charity Cup. Their sponsorship not only provided financial backing but also highlighted their commitment to community engagement and support for local causes. Thanks to Otter Garden Centres and The Saltworks Company for their donations.
Gwen and George from Wild Bird Boutique in Topsham were also present with their first pop-up stall selling a range of accessories.
Thanks to Mandie Rose, Tracy Fitzpatrick and Miranda Vorster for all of their help setting up for the event and ensuring that everything ran smoothly on the day.
The tournament’s success was largely due to the efforts of Vanessa. Her dedication to organising the event, encouraging entries from a range of venues, overseeing the catering and still managing to play all day was extraordinary.
We are looking forward to making this an annual event so keep an eye out for information about the 2025 Charity Cup…
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