“This was an incredible achievement, and we can’t thank them enough.”

The words of Pete Thornton, Chair of the John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation (JTYAF), after £12,040 was raised by Crane Valley Golf Club.

JTYAF was selected as ‘Charity of the Year’ by the three Captains at the Verwood club – Shani Bancroft, Ladies Captain; John Astley, Men’s Captain, and Paul Rowbottom, Senior’s Captain.

Due to Covid the partnership lasted two years with the charity delighted to receive a £5,000 donation in 2020 and recently £7,040 for 2021, taking the total raised to £12,040.

Shani said: “It has been our privilege to raise money for the JTYAF.

“I am very thankful to my fellow captains for supporting my choice of charity over the last two years.

“I have personally worked with young people all my working career and I know first-hand how much these monetary awards will benefit so many young people.

“The amazing generosity of our Crane Valley Golf Club members must be noted.

“Even we were surprised by the amount raised over two difficult years.

“However, none of this would happen without the dedication of Pete and Linda Thornton.

“All the work they do cannot be underestimated.

“It has been our pleasure to have worked with them both over the last two years, and we wish them all the best for the future.”

JTYAF said it was “hugely grateful” for the club’s fantastic support with heartfelt thanks going out to members, volunteers and all those who supported the events and activities so generously.

The charity added that the funds would allow it to continue providing bursaries and scholarships for local young people from a wide array of youth organisations.

Pete Thornton, pictured left, said: “We are so grateful to Crane Valley Golf Club and all their members.

“But special thanks must go to Shani, John and Paul.

“This was an incredible achievement, and we can’t thank them enough.

“It will make a huge difference to a great many local young people in the year ahead.”

Based in Ferndown, the JTYAF was founded in memory of Lieutenant John Thornton, pictured right, a young Royal Marines officer, who was tragically killed in Afghanistan at the age of 22.

His foundation encourages and supports local young people to ‘climb as high as they can dream’, by providing scholarships and bursaries for their training and personal development in the pursuit of their ambitions.

The charity has no paid staff, no premises and is run on a purely voluntary basis.

Since 2008 more than £750,000 has been awarded to over 2,000 young people.

Find out more about the work of the JTYAF at jtyaf.org.