The owners of a pitch and putt golf course say they are “overwhelmed” by people’s kindness and generosity after a holidaymaker started a fundraising campaign to support it.

David and Joy Burrell, of Shellness Golf in Leysdown, Sheppey, had no idea a GoFundMe page had been set up until a customer told them.

The campaign was started by Kelly Ryan, from Greenwich, who has been holidaying in Leysdown since she was a child.

Kelly, 35, said: “My family have been using the golf course for years. As kids we used it all the time, as did my parents, and now I take my nephew.”

She added: “I was chatting to David when we were last there about Covid and the course having been there for as long as I can remember, and he said the pandemic had hit it hard and business was still trying to pick up.

“He also mentioned he’d like to get a new roof for the equipment shed and sort out the picket fence to make it more attractive for people to come but, because of Covid, he’s struggled.”

Kelly said she set up the fundraising page to “give something back” to the place that held so many memories for her family.

“I thought it’d be nice to help raise some money as well as the profile of the golf course, and get more people going down there,” she said. “It’d be such a shame if it didn’t get any support.”

So far, £145 has been raised and a builder has offered to fix the roof for £100. Any further donations will go towards the fence.

David said: “We are most overwhelmed. It’s a lovely gesture; there are some nice people about.” He added: “The pitch and putt was closed for 18 months and it’s been hard work getting the course up and running again.”

A round at the nine-hole course in Shellness Road, which opened in 1985, costs £4.50 or £3.50 for children. It is open from Easter to autumn.

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