Christian Askins, PGA Advanced Professional at Bridgend Golf Complex has been named as the PGA’s Toby Sunderland Award Winner for 2025.
The award recognises PGA Members who have made an outstanding charitable contribution, and Askins’ remarkable year of endurance fundraising and awareness-raising for Alzheimer's Research UK saw him elected as the regional nominee for The PGA in West and the overall winner for 2025.
During his year as West-Region Captain, Askins raised more than £11,000 for the charity – a cause that holds deep personal significance following the loss of his grandmother who lived with Alzheimer’s for over a decade
“I was absolutely over the moon,” said Askins after receiving the award. “The money raised is one thing, which is going to go a long way to funding research in Alzheimer’s, but it’s the awareness as well.
“Dementia is close to a lot of people’s hearts, but it only seems to be getting more and more prevalent. The more awareness we can raise now – catching early diagnoses and things like that – the better.”
To achieve this, Askins chose to challenge himself physically as the core of his fundraising efforts.
“I started running in lockdown, as a lot of people did,” he explained. “I quite enjoyed it and I thought that might be the perfect way to raise some money rather than just asking people to give to a charity. It meant I was having to do something which is actually quite hard to do.”
In December 2024, he ran 10km every single day for a month – including through storm warnings and the Christmas period. He then pushed even further, undertaking the gruelling challenge of running a half marathon every day for an entire month throughout October and November.
Standing at 6ft 3in and weighing 100kg, Askins is the first to admit he is “not exactly fast”, but his determination never wavered. To avoid disrupting family life and his full-time coaching role, many of his runs began before the crack of dawn.
“I’d get up somewhere around 4am and the half marathon would start at 4.45am, as I’d need to be back for 7am for family life,” he said. “And then it’s straight to work and I wouldn’t finish work until 9 o’clock at night ready to get up again at 4am. So that was tricky.”
He also completed the 2025 London Marathon – one of the hottest on record – despite never previously running beyond a half marathon distance.
“That was tough. You do all the training in the winter where it’s averaging around 10 degrees and on the day it was 22 degrees or so. It was very, very hard.”
Combined, his challenges generated national attention, including coverage from Wales Online and features on The Central Club Podcast, significantly boosting both donations and awareness.
While much of the running was completed alone in the dark Welsh mornings, Askins was buoyed by support from his local community, particularly members of the K2 gym running club in Bridgend.
“There were probably only half a dozen times where I ran alone – those are the hardest,” he said. “On the last day, we had 53 people. It was absolutely chucking down but to have that many people with me on the last run, I was taken aback by it really.”
Beyond the fundraising, Askins also highlighted the mental health benefits of his challenge.
“If you’re busy coaching, my days are pretty full on with two young children, just getting out for an hour or two every day is great from a mental aspect.”
“The award is such a lovely thing to be recognised for and it’s so nice to have that,” Askins added. “But to raise awareness is the main thing, so that we can help others moving forward.
“And thank you to The PGA for the £1,000 donation as the award winner. That is a big chunk of money which has been raised to help with this cause too.”
Each PGA Region nominates a PGA Member for the award, showcasing the remarkable contributions being made throughout our Membership:
East
Ceri Menai-Davis (The Shire Golf Club)
Alongside his wife, Menai-Davis founded the charity It’s Never You, created in memory of their son Hugh, who tragically passed away in 2021 from rhabdomyosarcoma at the age of six. The charity supports parents of children with life-threatening illnesses and has helped raise over £500,000 to date. Menai-Davis ran the 2025 London Marathon carrying a 20kg rucksack embroidered with 450 children’s names, symbolising the weight carries by families, and raised approximately £38,000 from this effort alone.
Ireland
Dympna Keenan (Tandragee Golf Club)
Keenan completed the Irish Life Dublin Marathon in October 2025, raising an impressive £2,926 for Evora Hospice. Keenan’s charitable efforts span many years, having previously the Belfast Marathon in 2006, raising £2,700 for MacMillan Cancer Support and the Dublin Marathon in 2014 where her fundraising enabled the purchase of a defibrillator for Tandragee Golf Club, with an additional £900 donated to MacMillan Cancer Support.
Midlands
Northamptonshire County Golf Club
Recognised for over 40 years of charitable giving through its annual Charity PGA Pro-Am, the club has raised more than £400,000 for local and national causes. In 2025 alone, the event contributed around £18,000 to charities including the Air Ambulance and PGA Care (previously the Benevolent Fund).
North
Peter MacKenzie – Sale Golf Club
A PGA Professional for 25 years, Mackenzie has raised over £30,000 for Breast Cancer UK following his mother’s diagnosis. His fundraising included playing seven courses in a day, a 24-hour 250-hole challenge, and the ambitious “Mackenzie’s Mission to the Glen”. This two day challenge saw him cover more than 84 miles on foot between three Scottish golf courses, play multiple rounds of golf – including one at 2am using glow-in-the-dark balls and a head torch – and endure testing conditions with minimal rest.
Scotland
Jason Boyd – Montrose Golf Links
Boyd, Chairman of the PGA in Scotland, has raised over £30,000 for PGA Care through Pro-Ams, a West Highland Way walk, and other initiatives. Alongside fundraising, he has devoted his energy to growing junior and senior golf groups while tackling coastal erosion challenges.
South
Lee Andrews - Mid Sussex Golf Club
Lee has demonstrated outstanding commitment to using golf as a force for good, raising around £35,000 for charity through a wide range of challenges and initiatives. Highlights include completing 24 hours of continuous golf in 2024 - covering over 42 miles and raising more than £10,000 for St Peter & St James Hospice - alongside additional fundraising through inclusive “Get Into Golf” programmes and charity golf days.
Andrews also completed the London Marathon in 2025, raising over £9,000 for The Royal Marsden Hospital despite a serious injury just weeks beforehand, and continue to support Macmillan Cancer Support through events and auctioneering. Beyond fundraising, his work as a disability golf coach has had a lasting impact, including helping a paraplegic golfer return to the course after five years.
