Wellow Golf Day and Same Difference help make a big difference

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Same Difference with Clive and Tricia Wilson

X-Factor finalists Same Difference topped the bill  on Saturday July 28th at Wellow Golf Club for the entertainment at the Lisa Wilson Scholarship Fund’s 10th Annual Golf Day. The event raised over £7500 for the charity. Over 120 members played in the members’ Golf competition and some 40 family members guests and sponsors played in a separate competition.

During the evening, deputy director of Solent University Martin Nailor presented Clive and Tricia Wilson with a cheque for £1627 as 50% of the funds raised at the recent Ex Saints v team Solent at the opening of Southampton Solent’s new sports facility at Test Park Nursling.

Martin Nailor presenting Clive and Tricia Wilson with a cheque for £1627

A raffle was also held, raising £1100, and these funds were donated to Sophia Banger, the young daughter of Ex Saint Nicky Banger and his wife Stephanie. Sophia has Cerebral Palsy and needs an operation in the USA to help her to walk. Compere Mike Osman managed to auction a Ronaldo shirt for £500 for the charity. For more info about Sophia or how you can help, visit their website, Sophia’s Footsteps

Some 200 people attended the evening event which was hosted by comedian Mike Osman, and local brother and sister Sean and Sarah Smith of the duo Same Difference helped raise the roof in Lisa’s memory.
The total raised for the charities on the night is expected to exceed over £10,000 an amazing result. The charity has now helped some 50 young adults with bursaries of £1000 per annum for up to 3 years, and the Wilson family have raised £225,000 to date.

We would like to thank all our family, friends , suppliers and sponsors plus of course all at Wellow Golf Club and their members for your amazing support.

A letter from a parent

We recently received this letter from the mother of a student recently granted a bursary by the Scholarship Fund:

Hello Mr Wilson

Yesterday i attended Southampton Solent Uni with my son Garry Halsey who has just started a football degree, I just wanted to say how moved my son my daughter and myself was at the tribute that you and your family have paid to your Daughter . We all sat in tears watching the photos of Lisa and listening to her music ,WOW you are right she was amazing and she did light up the room . I can only thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping my Garry to fullfill his dream to go to uni and to be able to afford it . I love my job I work with adults with Learning difficulties but it does not pay to well ,but then sometimes money isnt everything obviously to Garry it is at the moment , so thank you again for stepping in where I could not. I can not begin to imagine the sadness that you and your family must feel over losing Lisa in such a tragic way but you have my every sympathy .The tribute is amazing and what a wonderful way to keep her memory alive .

Thank you

Caron Unwin-Lee
Garry Halsey’s mum

Fiftieth bursary awarded

This year’s bursary award winners with Professor Van Gore in front of Lisa’s mural

On Monday 26th September, seven new students were awarded bursaries from the Lisa Wilson Scholarship Fund, bringing the total of beneficiaries to date to over fifty. In a special ceremony at Southampton Solent University, the new students were joined by the Wilson family and some fifty guests to receive their awards; these included Vice Chancellor Professor Van Gore who spoke on behalf of the university, Geeta Uppal who introduced the event, and many students who had previously received awards and had come back to mark the occassion. This year’s recipients are; Louis Alleyne, Ben Parker, Joe Dormer, Jemma Fox, Garry Halsey, Chelsea-Lea Smith, and Matthew Thorpe.

Clive Wilson spoke about the charity and how inspiring the many recipients had been over the years, and how some nine years after her untimely death, Lisa was still able to touch other people’s lives and give them the opportunity to fulfill their educational dreams and ambitions in the way that she herself had. Tricia Wilson presented the awards including the ‘Lisa Wilson Prize’ for outstanding achievement, which was awarded to Sharon Elegbede with a 2:1 in LLB (Hons) with Business Management.

As well as the new students, there are nine continuing students in their second and third years. With this year’s graduation awards in November, this will bring the number of students graduating to date to twenty two.

9th Lisa Wilson Golf Day record success

The ninth Lisa Wilson Golf Day took place at Wellow Golf Club in Hampshire on Saturday July 30th.  124 members played in the main competition and some 36 friends and guests participated in the guests’ competition. The weather was perfect for golf, very still, no rain, and at about 2.30pm glorious sunshine lit up the entire golf course.

As usual, it was a strongly contested event; Jim Hatball won the men’s trophy, Chris Batt won the ladies’, with Max Leigh winning the Junior and Students’ competition. For the guests, Andy West beat off all challengers to win on his first time playing, and Wendy Stoddard managed to win the ladies’ trophy.

In the evening some 200 people filled the clubhouse for the prize giving. Clive Wilson thanked everyone for the amazing turnout and fantastic financial support which saw the charity bring in over £8000 with the raffle and silent auction – a record for the event.

Following the prize-giving, Lucie Campbell–the latest student to receive a bursary from the charity–sang two numbers on her solo debut. The second song ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ was dedicated to Lisa as one of her favorite songs when she was little. The atmosphere was gripping and extremely moving as Lucie completed her second number. She is a bright talent who touched everyone’s heart on the night. It is hoped that Lucie will go on to fulfill her dreams of becoming a West End leading lady.

Lucie Campbell performs at the 2011 Lisa Wilson Golf Day

Following the formalities, everyone was entertained by the Tribute Show who did two one hour slots with really brilliant performances as Freddie Mercury, Robbie Williams, Cher, Madonna, and Kylie, to name just a few. They really were the best act to date and the dance floor was buzzing until well past midnight.

This event brought the money raised by the charity to £218,000, a fantastic legacy to Lisa, which amounts to over 200 years of education.

LWSF in the press


An article on the Lisa Wilson Scholarship Fund is published in the current issue (no.21) of Headway, the Southampton Solent University magazine

Click on the image above to read the article, or download the PDF here