A GOLF club has raised thousands of pounds to help dementia sufferers.

Hinksey Heights Golf Club has raised more than £6,000, which is enough to keep a cafe for early-onset dementia victims in Cassington going for a year.

The club, off the A34 at South Hinksey, Oxford, chose Young Dementia UK as its charity of the year after the husband of one of its regular players was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2010.

Jenny McNeil’s husband Dave was just 61 when he found out the news.

She said: “I almost didn’t believe it at first, part of me wished I hadn’t been told.

“It comes as an earth-shattering blow when the doctor breaks it to you that your husband has Alzheimer’s at the age of 61.

“All your plans and hopes for the future have suddenly gone.”

Young Dementia UK was launched in Oxford in 1998 and then developed into a national charity.

It provides one-to-one care, runs various clubs where people can meet, including the monthly evening cafe with music and dancing in Cassington.

The grandmother-of-two said: “The money that the golf club has raised will keep the cafe going for a year. Once a month 30 to 40 people, including family members meet and have a meal and there’s music and dancing.

“It is particularly relevant for us as Dave can’t speak at all but he loves dancing.”

Retired science teacher Mrs McNeil, 65, is her husband’s carer and looks after him at their home in Long Wittenham, near Didcot She said Barbara Wynn, the club’s retiring ladies captain, suggested fundraising for Young Dementia UK after seeing the help it had given them.

She added: “It’s hard as a carer but the cafe is an opportunity to link up with people in a similar position.

“The charity has been a tremendous support and it’s nice to meet others in the same position and have someone to talk to.”

The cash was raised at a drive-in event at the beginning of the captains’ year of office, boosted by various fundraisers throughout the year.

Retiring men’s captain Jim McCarthy said: “This was a gigantic effort by the club members.”

“Their generosity resulted in one of the highest amounts of money raised for a charity in the history of the club.”

The charity’s community fundraising manager Helen Lerwill said: “A donation of this size makes a huge difference to our ability to provide support to people in Oxfordshire whose lives are affected by young onset dementia.

“This donation alone could cover the cost of running our monthly evening cafe night for a year.

“We cannot thank the club enough for their hard work which will enable us to support even more people in the coming year.”