Industry-wide golf day strives to raise £15,000 for cancer charities

Bishop’s Stortford-based broker Sterling Insurance, part of the Adrian Flux Group, is aiming to raise £15,000 for cancer charities through its annual, one-day golf event – the Sterling Cup.

This year’s competition, which consists of an 18 hole course across 6,300 yards, will take place on 12 September 2024 at Manor of Groves Hotel, Golf and Health Club in Sawbridgeworth.

Professionals from across the insurance sector are primed to participate – so far, 21 teams are confirmed to hit the course, which equates to 84 golfers.

Aside from Sterling Insurance and Adrian Flux staff, 2024’s teams hail from companies such as Ageas UK, All Broker Services, Arkel Underwriting, Auxillis, Axa, Bastion Insurance, First Underwriting, Intelligent Insurance, KGM, LexisNexis, Markerstudy, Meteorwrite, Open GI, Simply Insurance, Sparta Insurance, Stephenson Smart, Strategic Insurance, U-Drive, Vast Visibility and Verisk.

Now in its fourth year, the golf tournament has successfully raised an increasing amount for UK cancer charities year-on-year.

In 2021, the event raised £10,000, followed by a £12,000 pool in 2022. Last year, the golfers raised £15,000, which is the target amount Sterling Insurance would like to generate this year too.

Firms sponsoring 2024’s tee off include Strategic Insurance, Prestige Underwriting, Ageas UK, Markerstudy, Vivo Lifestyle Services and Auxillis.

Head-to-head

The event is based on popular golfing competition the Ryder Cup, with participants split across two larger teams – the white hats and the black hats – to gain points per hole for their team captain.

The regular team captains include PKCM Consultancy’s Paul Copeland, who spearheads the white hats, and retired Capricorn Underwriting Services director Rod Wellard, leader of the black hats.

The tally between the two men so far includes two wins for the black hats in 2021 and 2023, with the white hats securing victory in 2022.

Prizes that are awarded on the conclusion of the competition, ahead of refreshments and networking, include the overall Sterling Cup, Nearest the Pin and Longest Drive.

Breakfast, drinks and snacks are provided as part of team’s entry fee, as well as a BBQ at the end of the day.

Inspired by Archie

The Sterling Cup was first created to raise money for Archie Wilks, a now eight-year-old who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma – a rare form of cancer concerning immature nerve cells – in January 2019.

His father, Simon Wilks, works for Sterling Insurance as a point of referral.

The golf tournament was initially launched, therefore, to raise the necessary funds to send Wilks to America for further treatment, including variations of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and cell transplants.

Now, the Sterling Cup spreads the fruits of its fundraising across numerous charities – as well as continuing to support the Wilks family. Other beneficiaries include the Helen Rollason Cancer Charity, Macmillan Cancer Support and Maggie’s.

Peter Cook, floor manager at Sterling Insurance, told Insurance Times: “The Sterling Cup was born out of an idea to raise money for people that are going through cancer treatment after personal experiences from staff of the company.

“It was decided to bring the insurance industry together as a whole and try to give something back to UK charities as an annual event that supports the neediest.”