A Threemilestone man whose life was saved by staff at the Royal Cornwall Hospital following a collapse three years ago is organising his third annual fundraising golf day.

Nigel Stafford, known as Big Nige, suffered with cardiac arrhythmia and ended up needing emergency treatment at the hospital's Cornish Heart Unit Fund (CHUF), and following his recovery set up the Stafford Shield, raising over £12,000 in the last two years.

He said: "Three years ago was a life changing time for me, I collapsed and needed resuscitating several times and I am only here today because of the amazing treatment I received from the wonderful A&E and Cardiac team at The Royal Cornwall Hospital.

"After being so fit - I am a keen sports man and cycled 45 miles a day before this happened - it was a complete shock to the system and one of the things that kept me motivated was deciding on ways to support local services that were instrumental in my recovery."

Nigel spoke to Mark and Justin who run the local village pub, The Victoria Inn, and they came up with the idea for he shield, a fundraising golf day which made £4,200 in its first year and another £8,200 last year.

The money, collected through team entries, donations, and a prize auction, will help provide the unit

with state-of-the art equipment, healing environments, innovative research, and speciality training for staff.

The event returns to Truro Golf Club on Friday, September 23, with some amazing prizes, with tour sponsors Ocean BMW in Falmouth having a new 1 Series BMW to win for a Hole in One Challenge, and the auction stacked with items such as AAA hospitality tickets for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a stay with dinner and breakfast in Alverton Manor’s new Court Rooms, hospitality tickets for Manchester United at Old Trafford.

To register a team or donate an auction item, contact Mark Holden on 01872 278313 or mark@inncornwall.co.uk