AN annual golf tournament lived up to its reputation as going ahead irrespective of the weather by being staged in monsoon conditions at the Celtic Manor Resort.

Leading South Wales businessman Roger Gambarini, his wife Julie and son Simon, staged a charity golf day on May 14 at the resort’s Roman Road course despite atrocious weather conditions.

Roger, consultant with Office Visions Ltd, who is Celtic Manor’s Twenty Ten Club captain for 2015, has now raised £250,000 from his annual charity golf days - this year securing the Celtic Manor for the 25th staging of the event.

Roger set an ambitious target of raising £20,000 this year to mark the 25th anniversary of the first staging of the golf day.

Roger, said: “To mark the special day, our 25th, we were extremely fortunate in that the executive team at the Celtic Manor very generously gave us the courtesy of the Roman Road Course and were extremely helpful and generous around the whole day.

“It’s a fantastic honour and privilege for me to have been able to stage our annual golf day at Celtic Manor. It was the perfect setting, despite the weather, in which to celebrate our silver anniversary and right in the heart of the community served so marvellously and so well by St David’s Hospice Care."

Paul Williams, PR manager at Celtic Manor, said: “We are well aware of the tremendous charitable work Roger has done over the years in particular for St David’s Hospice Care. We were delighted when Roger approached us wanting to stage his golf day on the Roman Road course and we are proud to support the event and help ensure the 25th anniversary of his annual golf day is even more special.”

Among those businesses which have kept with Roger every stroke and out of the way over the years are previous winners MDW Haulage, Nuaire, Savills, Harding Evans Solicitors, Acorn Recruitment, R E Phillips and Partners, Newsquest, SRK, Hazell’s Haulage and Whitehead Building Services, who were presented with a memento to mark their continued support.

During the evening, at a dinner event attended by 144 guests, Roger presented £20,000 to St David’s Hospice Care chief executive Emma Saysell.

Roger, who staged his first golf day in 1991, says he has a special reason for supporting the charity: “My brother did a lot of fundraising for St David’s Hospice Care, which is why I initially began organising the Annual Golf Day, however, when my father was ill in 1992, he was looked after by the nurses from the Hospice, who were fantastic.

“The golf day is my way of supporting the charity that supported my family at a very difficult time. It has grown in stature over the years and is now so popular that people look forward to being involved every year. Usually we have the support of approximately 40 teams however the format was limited to 25 teams.”

Emma Saysell said: “Roger and the team at Office Visions have provided wonderful support to St David’s Hospice Care over very many years and we know from our own experiences just how difficult it is to organise fundraising events. To keep his golf days going for 25 years is a truly amazing achievement and one which we are all extremely grateful.”

The results from the day are as follows: 1st Acorn Recruitment; 2nd Phillips and partners; 3rd SRK; 13th – Satellite Financial and winner of the event Gnomes trophies; 21st Great Bear Healthcare ladies.