Welwyn Garden City bridge players raise cash for Isabel Hospice

Welwyn Garden City Bridge Club members enjoying a game. Picture: Welwyn Garden City Bridge Club (Image: Archant)

The popular group now has more than 500 members and to mark the achievement, members will be raising money for WGC-based Isabel Hospice.

They will be having a fundraising bridge day on Tuesday, April 17, with a twist.

The club has teamed up with six pubs and eateries to run an all day duplicate bridge competition, with 96 competitors moving between six different venues to play a total of 24 rounds of bridge.

The venues involved are: The Crooked Chimney, The Red Lion, The Long and Short Arm, The Waggoners, The Sun and Brocket Hall.

Players will play four rounds of bridge in each venue, as well as stopping half way round to enjoy a good pub lunch.

In addition to donating all entry fees to the hospice, the club will also be running a raffle with a top prize of £100.

Club spokesman Joanne Childs told the Welwyn Hatfield Times: “The organisation of this landmark event has been undertaken by Jan Palmer Sayer.

“Jan is an active bridge member and a retired headmistress, who has worked tirelessly with a small team including our chairman Jeff Green to pull together a very unusual event.”

Although it is now too late to sign up for this event, new members are always welcome to join the club.

There are bridge sessions every weekday morning, apart from Tuesday, at the Gosling Centre where there is a dedicated room for the club.

They take place from 10am to 1pm.

There are also evening sessions every weekday evening, apart from Friday, from 7.30pm to 10.30pm.

On Saturday mornings, there are supervised play sessions for learners and on weekends the club tends to host county events.

Members of the club range from people in their 20s to others in their 90s.

Joanne, who is in her mid forties, said: “Generally we get about 50 plus people attending each time, which is an incredibly impressive number for a bridge club.

“We’re probably in the top five bridge clubs in the country for membership.”

So why is bridge so popular?

Joanne said: “It keeps the mind very active.

“As you get older and want a hobby, this is also a really nice way of getting out of the house and socialising.

“It’s very competitive.

“It’s cheap as well.

“We only charge £2.50 per session and its £10 for membership, so it’s a nice cheap way of entertaining yourself.”

For more information about the club, visit http://www.bridgewebs.com/welwyngardencity/

You can also contact the club on 01707 333959.

•Additional prizes for the hospice fundraising day have been donated from Bill’s, Pizza Express, the Odeon in Hatfield, WGC Sainsbury’s to name but a few.

Auberge Du Lac has also donated dinner for two to be auctioned off on the day to the highest bidder.