Representatives from businesses across the region have raised nearly £500 for local hospices by teeing off for charity at a networking golf event held at Thetford Golf Course in Norfolk.

Nearly 40 business people from across East Anglia, including representatives from TRO in Norfolk, Baker Tilly in Suffolk and Januarys Consultant Surveyors in Cambridge, took the opportunity to indulge in some healthy competition while networking with fellow professionals at the charity golf day organised by regional recruitment agency Pure Resourcing Solutions.

The fundraising event included both individual and group competitions. Neil Augustin from Truckmasters in Norwich scooped the first individual prize and Chris Binnie from Zip Heaters in Dereham, Gary Vatcher from Norwich's John Innes Institute and Joseph O'Sullivan from Pure Resourcing Solutions' Norwich office won first prize in the team competition.

Will Colman from Colman Print in Norwich won the nearest the pin prize and Tom Earl from Pure Resourcing Solutions' Chelmsford office scooped the Longest Drive Prize.

All those who attended the event said how much they enjoyed the day and are looking forward to next year's event.

David Foord, Group Finance Director at Januarys Consultant Surveyors in Cambridge, and a keen golfer, said: "Despite my team narrowly missing out on winning a prize by just one point it was still a fantastic day. It's one of Pure Resourcing Solutions unique selling points that they arrange great social events like this in order to build and maintain a long term relationships with their clients.

"As Januarys is a regional business it also proved to be an excellent opportunity to meet and make new contacts with business people from all across the region. Next year I will most certainly be aiming to come first though."

Joseph O'Sullivan, Norwich Office Manager at Pure Resourcing Solutions, added: "It was great fun to be able to bring business people from across the region together to engage in some friendly competitive spirit and to network together outside of the office environment while raising money for such a good cause.

"We have totalled up the money from the day and we are delighted to have raised £480. As a business we have now raised more than £36,000 for our chosen charity East Anglia Children's Hospices."

The money raised at the event will be split between East Anglia Children's Hospices (EACH) and The J's Hospice which both provide respite and hospice care and support to families across the east of England.