It feels like it was a long time ago we called for ordinary people to climb this extraordinary mountain and now we are just weeks away from departure.
On September 18th our team will leave the UK for the most incredible experience of their lives.
We trek through equatorial rainforest rich in wildlife, including elephant and waterbuck, across moorlands and above remote gorges where you can relive the excitement felt by the first explorers. We camp by mesmerising lakes fed by waterfalls. On clear days we can see the summit of Kilimanjaro, 200 miles away across the African savannah. We summit at dawn to capture the sunrise over this spiky eerie landscape and we marvel at what seems like all of Africa falling away below.
The diversity of habitat and wildlife, the absence of other trekkers, and geography akin to the set of Jurassic Park combined with the challenge of the ascent make a climb to Point Lenana an experience never to be forgotten.
If you are suffering from any form of FOMO and think it’s too late to join us, it is not. Please email Cheryl@chilterncentre.org.uk today.
Be one of the lucky ones to experience this incredible mountain and get in touch with us today.
A Great Day for You. A Lasting Difference for Others.
Think about how you feel after a great day on the golf course.
You’ve spent hours outdoors in the fresh air. You’ve enjoyed the beauty of the surroundings, the warmth of the sun on your face, the camaraderie of friends and teammates, and the satisfaction that comes from being active and fully present in the moment.
You leave feeling refreshed, energised and connected. The stresses of everyday life seem a little lighter, your mood is lifted, and the memories of a great day stay with you long after you’ve left the 18th green.
At the Chiltern Centre, we see those same benefits every day through the activities we provide.
The people we support often experience stress, anxiety, loneliness or isolation. Through meaningful activities, social opportunities and shared experiences, they gain confidence, build friendships and enjoy moments that bring happiness, purpose and connection. Just like a great day on the golf course, the positive effects often last for days afterwards.
By taking part in our Golf Day, you’re helping to make those moments possible.
Every entry, every sponsorship and every donation helps us create opportunities for people to feel connected, valued and included in their community.
So while you’re enjoying a wonderful day of golf, you’re also giving someone else the chance to experience the same feelings of wellbeing, friendship and joy.
That’s what makes this more than just a golf day. It’s a day that changes lives.
Why Your Round Matters
The activities provided by the Chiltern Centre create many of those same benefits for the people we support. They help reduce stress, anxiety and isolation while building confidence, connection and a sense of belonging.
When you join our Golf Day, you’re helping more people experience those moments of happiness and connection that can stay with them long after the day is over.
Our Sponsors
We are fortunate to have our headline sponsor this year Ward Connections
Chris Ward and his team have been sponsors and regular players at our charity golf days for over 15 years. As our very first golf day sponsor we are delighted to have his support once again.
Also, for the second year, TG Gym and Wellness are back to sponsor one of our new interactive holes.
Doing it for the girls are our second interactive hole sponsor Tim Peers Estate Agents. Now an all female agency they will also be entering a team to take part in the day.
New for 2026 is the fabulous team at Blanchards Law the family lawyers putting you first.
It will soon be that time again for one of our favourite events of the year – Regatta for the Disabled 2026!
Why do we love this event so much?
Too often young people with disabilities are excluded from social activities. The places their peers go can feel overwhelming or inaccessible without additional support and the unique barriers that young people with learning disabilities face can make forming friendships particularly challenging. At The Chiltern Centre, we teach young people to open those doors. We focus on what is possible, supporting them to take on new challenges, discover their potential, and live with confidence and joy.
The vision is simple: a world where disability does not limit opportunity.
To witness the difference our supporters and this event makes to the adults that we support come along for a lovely day out and see for yourself.
At the end of May, The Chiltern Centre was invited to the launch of new festival, a Sunlflower Festival.
Organised by Philippa Ratcliffe from Experience Henley, the festival runs from 1st – 15th August and forms part of Henley RHS Britain in Bloom entry.
On the 8th August, Falaise Square will host sunflower themed stalls and displays featuring local organisation including Greener Henley, Henley in Bloom, Stonor Valley Farm, The Flower Tap and The Chiltern Centre, alongside other community partners. Sunflower-themed displays will feature in shops where you can buy the sunflower seeds including the Town Hall, Asquith’s Teddy Bear Empawium, Tigers and Tiara’s and many more.
Long term supporters and friends Emily Carr and her family from Stonor Valley Farm will be creating a sunflower display in Market Place for us all to enjoy as well. Emily will also be visiting local schools to talk about sewing, growing and showing your sunflowers.
So come and see us and all of the homegrown goodness on 8th August.
Thank you to everyone helping to make Henley bloom and support a great cause.
In my last post about our golfing charity partnerships I used the words remarkable for the fact that not 1 but 4 golf clubs had decided to support us during their captaincies in 2025. What has turned out to be both remarkable and extraordinary is the captains themselves and their unwavering support for The Chiltern Centre.
I also quoted that they were collectively estimated to raise £60,000 just for the Centre. They have in fact raised more than £70,000 for The Chiltern Centre and almost £100,000 in total with those funds being split between Prostate Cancer UK and Bluebells Day Centre.
To name these superhuman beings again we cannot be more anymore grateful to;
Badgemore Park – Ruth Cassidy
Henley Golf Club – Jeff Ellis and Janet Thompson
Castle Royle – Muriel Quinsac
Huntercombe – Clare Lennon and Ian Whittaker
Each captain hosts multiple events throughout their captains year from a big charity day, to individual captains fun days with fancy dress and quiz sheets, their own tournaments and these extend beyond their own golf clubs to away days as well.
Money is raised mostly through raffles, mulligans (an official way of cheating through paying for an free shot!) and even paying the pro’s to drive for you. All in the name of a good cause.
Our heartfelt congratulations go out to all of the captains, their supporters and in turn our supporters. It has been a year of dedication, a busy inbox and early starts to fit it all in but best of all, it has been a year of fun and joy.
Thank you one and all.
Henley Golf Club Captains Janey Thompson and Jeff Ellis with Cheryl from The Chiltern and Glen Lambert from Bluebells Cay Centre receiving a cheque for £40,000.
Muriel Quinsac, Lady Captain at Castle Royle with Oisin Lynch.
Lady Captain Clare Lennon from Huntercombe Golf Club with hers and Ian Whittaker’s cheque for £28,000. Pictured with AGM Tom MacAuley
At the last minute the stars have aligned and we have found an evening when two incredible speakers from the world of climbing and all things adventure can come together to share their incredible stories with us.
ROLFE OOSTRA
Once again we have the formidable Rolfe Oostra joining us to give us a true sense of off grid expeditions his way. Rolfe will be taking us on an incredible and quite honestly exhausting journey of Everest the traditional way and until now, the only way.
For those of you haven’t encountered Rolfe at a previous night of adventure or indeed on one of our fundraising expeditions, grab your ticket, find a seat and strap yourself in for the ride of your life!
Rolfe has possibly the most impressive expedition “CV” you will encounter to date with the high altitude summary alone reading as over 100+ x 6,000m peaks, 9 x 7,000m peaks and 11 x 8,000m peaks. But this is just the tip of the proverbial ice cap!
He also holds the world record for the single highest solo rescue, ascending mountains twice in just 24 hours, he has many “first ascents” to his name in almost every continent and the one he should be most proud of – successfully summitting Mount Toubkal with 2 Chiltern Centre teams in a year!!
Underneath it all Rolfe is a regular guy that happens to have a really really cool job. He loves all creatures great and small, the simple pleasure of an ice cold beer, won’t go anywhere without a good book and loves the card game shit head. Watch out, he’s a shark!
Garth Miller, leader of the record-breaking Mission Everest project in 2025, will be talking us through his recent speed ascent of the highest mountain in the world.
In May 2025 Garth led a team of 4 former special forces veterans to the summit of Mount Everest on a mission to revolutionise how climbers tackle the highest mountains in the world. Using speed, science and innovation, Garth was able to leave his home in Henley, summit Everest and return home in just 7 days. Mission Everest showcased a safer and more sustainable way to climb at altitude and protect the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
Garth has a deep love and respect for Nepal and its people, having served as an officer in the Royal Gurkha Rifles. He now balances life as a long haul airline captain with a life of adventure on expeditions to 8000m peaks in Nepal, Tibet and Pakistan.
Despite close calls on Everest and K2, Garth, a married father of two, hasn’t let putting down roots locally in Henley keep him from adventures all over the world. From the infamous Marathon des Sables in the Sahara to the jungles of Borneo, Garth’s hunger for challenges is inspirational.
Join us as Garth whisks you to the top of the world and shows how the impossible was made possible.
If that isn’t enough Garth is also running the London Marathon in 2026 for The Chiltern Centre.
We will of course be encouraging you to find your inner adventurer and sign up to join us on Mount Kenya in September.
Grab your tickets now for a night of the unexpected!
There is a lot to say about golf this year in fundraising terms where do we start?
Our first golfing fundraiser of the year, held at Badgemore Park and hosted by Emma, brough the golfers out in force and the sunshine with it. Raising £3,000 from just 11 teams we still have our second golf day at Henley Golf Club coming up on 17th September.
The remarkable news this year is that we have 4 golf clubs raising funds for us via their men’s and lady’s captains.
Badgemore Park – Ruth Cassidy
Henley Golf Club – Jeff Ellis and Janet Thompson
Castle Royle – Muriel Quinsac
Huntercombe – Clare Lennon and Ian Whittaker
Each captain hosts multiple events throughout their captains year from a big charity day, to individual captains fun days with fancy dress and quiz sheets, their own tournaments and these extend beyond their own golf clubs to away days as well.
Money is raised mostly through raffles, mulligans (an official way of cheating through paying for an free shot!) and even paying the pro’s to drive for you. All in the name of a good cause.
Reports coming in from all angles at the beginning of the year were looking gloomy with regards to community fundraising but at the moment these wonderful ladies and gentleman look set to raise more than £60,000 collectively. That is an incredible amount of money raised. To put it in tangible terms this could pay for a trip to Butlins or the Calvert Trust 10 times over.
I am supported to take part in physical activities that I enjoy, at my own pace, that suit my energy levels, in a way that suits how I feel on the day. I can explore new activities and make choices about how I stay active. we support people to enjoy their time spent at the Centre and build genuine friendships.
Moments of fun and adventure not only brighten their days but challenge them to try new things and grow.
We create opportunities for disabled young adults to experience the joy and excitement of activities.
Young people come to the Centre alongside others with whom they share a bond, an interest or a rapport with so that they truly enjoy their time with us
Our first workshop of 2025 is an introduction to block printing with the amazing Katie Waggett.
Katie came to the Centre in November of last year to conduct our very own workshop with the people that we support to create personalised cushion covers for their families for Christmas. Katie was just incredible! Patient, kind, insightful!
So it is only right that our first workshop this year is with Katie. This is your opportunity to raise funds for a great cause whilst doing something creative and fun. The timing is such that you could create something for Mother’s Day, or just do something for fun. You can choose from a tea towel, cushion cover, scarf or napkins.
