Poker players raise £1,000 for hospital appeal

Members of the Bury Poker League have been dealing out the cards in aid of charity and have raised £1,000 from one of their favourite pursuits.

Up to 57 people took part in a competition held at Great Barton Village Hall with the money going towards the My WiSH Charity.

The league holds six tournaments during the year with one of them dedicated to their nominated charity.

For the past three years they have managed to raise £3,000 from their annual event which is organised by Sean Hale, Roy Elbourn, Nik Faulds, and Mark Booker.

The quartet have been running regular poker league matches and competitions at the Moreton Hall Community Centre for the past six years with the annual tournaments supporting My WiSH Charity’s WiSH Upon A Star Children’s Appeal, which is aimed at helping to enhance the care to every child visiting the West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds.

The winners of the latest tournament, held on Saturday, August 10, was won by a team consisting of Kev Quinlan, from Lincolnshire, Bev Nicholson and Graham Hull, both from Mildenhall, John Delaney, from Newmarket, and Harry Osborne from Brandon, who called themselves “The Dithering Old F**ts”.

Sean’s 24-year-old son Ollie Hall was the individual winner.

Money was raised from a raffle held at the tournament and Sean said prizes were donated by Mark from Focus Cars, in Chedburgh.

He said: “The day went really well. We have done quite a number of games at the village hall and a lot of people have said how good it’s run. Everyone gets on well with each other and they have a really good time.

“We’re hoping to do the same again next year … and the year after that and the year after that.”

Players came from far and wide including from Essex, Lincolnshire, Norwich, Lowestoft as well as the Bury St Edmunds area.

Sally Daniels, fundraising manager, thanked Sean and everyone involved in the Bury Poker League for their continued support and said “Donations to our children’s appeal are fantastic and allow us to support our young patients right across the county. Money can buy anything from toys to aid rehabilitation sessions to larger items such as equipment to help with procedures so these donations are vital to allow us to continue this extra care.”