Friends and family teed up for a special sporting event held in memory of a young Kinross man who took his own life - and raised an outstanding £9000 for a local mental health charity.
The Ross Handyside Memorial Golf Day at Drumoig Golf Course, St Andrews in August reached the incredible sum - £8000 on the day and £1000 matched funding from HSBC - for The Lighthouse for Perth.
The annual fundraiser is in its 11th year and is held in memory of Ross Handyside.
Sky technician, former pupil at Kinross High and Kinross Rugby Club member Ross was just a few weeks short of his 24th birthday when, on April 11, 2010, he died from suicide, leaving his family heartbroken.
Since then his dad Jim has wanted to keep his memory alive while helping to draw attention to mental health.
Jim credits pals Andy Caldwell, Colin Henderson and Graeme Lungley for helping him set up the annual golf gathering 12 years ago, initially dedicated to the Mary Leishman Foundation.
However, after a conversation with a friend he changed the chosen charity to the Lighthouse for Perth last year, raising £3000 in 2020 in the process despite only 44 golfers being able to attend due to COVID.
Over the past decade plus he has helped raise close to £30,000 for both good causes.
Operations manager at Lighthouse for Perth Sharon Thomas said it was an “unbelievable amount of money in the current climate”.
“It just shows you how much it means to people,” she added.
The Lighthouse is a non-profit organisation providing a safe space to anyone aged 12 and over who is at risk of self-harm or suicide.
• The Samaritans are available 24/7 to talk to anyone, whatever they are going through. Call free on 116 123.
The Lighthouse for Perth can be contacted on 0800 121 4820 from 10am to 4pm, Mondays to Thursdays and from 8pm to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, or by emailing help@lighthouseforperth.org
