A charity golf day bringing together sports stars, local families and two national health charities is set to take place at Burnham & Berrow Golf Club on Wednesday 23rd September, raising funds to support children born with cleft lip and palate across the South West.
The ‘Swing FORE Smiles’ event has been created through a friendship forged between Somerset cricketer Tom Kohler‑Cadmore and Burnham & Berrow PGA professional Andrew March.
In August 2025, Tom and his partner Melissa welcomed their son Dougie, who was born with a cleft lip and palate — a condition affecting around one in 700 children in the UK.
When March saw Tom’s social media post announcing Dougie’s birth, he immediately recognised the journey ahead, having been through the same experience when his own son Logan was born in 2013. The pair connected, shared their stories, and soon began discussing ways to support families facing similar challenges.
Towards the end of the 2025 cricket season, Kohler‑Cadmore began sporting the CLAPA logo on his bat to raise awareness of the charity, which relies entirely on public fundraising to provide specialist feeding equipment and support for families.
Early in 2026, he mentioned hopes of organising a charity golf day — an idea March quickly embraced. With the help of Burnham & Berrow member James Ward, the trio developed plans for what has now become the ‘Swing FORE Smiles Golf Day’.
Funds raised will support both CLAPA and Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity, with money directed specifically to the South West Cleft Service.
The team hopes to build a new purpose‑built centre at Bristol Dental Hospital, bringing all outpatient cleft treatment under one roof. The proposed £2m facility would include babble rooms for babies, sensory spaces, a psychologist room and six consultant rooms, helping deliver more appointments for families across the region.
The charities are working towards a £500k ‘Smile for Life Appeal’ to help make the centre a reality.
Both surgeons who operated on Dougie and Logan will attend the event, along with the boys themselves and representatives from the charities.
Burnham & Berrow Golf Club swiftly agreed to host the day on its Championship course, with organisers drawing on their sporting contacts to assemble a strong celebrity line‑up.
Seventeen teams will take part alongside three celebrity teams, enjoying a round of golf followed by a two‑course meal, presentations, an auction and Q&A sessions in the clubhouse.
Confirmed celebrity names include England rugby stars Jamie George and Luke Cowan‑Dickie, former England cricketers Graeme Swann and Matthew Maynard, Bristol Rovers players Kofi Balmer and Tommy Leigh, and several Somerset teammates of Kohler‑Cadmore — including skipper Lewis Gregory, Jack Leach and James Rew. Pete Trego will act as MC for the evening.
Spectators are welcome to attend free of charge, with any donations to the charities gratefully received. An auction featuring exclusive sporting memorabilia and high‑profile experiences will run both online and during the event, with details set to be shared on Instagram via tomkcadmore and marchypgagolf.
Final preparations are now under way, with organisers hopeful the day will raise a substantial sum for Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity and CLAPA while celebrating the community spirit that brought the event to life.