Kenny Powell of North Foreland Golf Club back playing again – despite suffering two spinal strokes – as thousands are raised for ParaGolfer Buggy

When Kenny Powell suffered the first of two spinal strokes, leading to him being hospitalised for almost a year, he feared he might never play golf again.

A previous North Foreland Golf Club champion, he first got involved in the sport aged 12.

Now, thanks to the support of TaylorMade Golf, North Foreland and a new set of clubs designed for him to use in conjunction with his ParaGolfer Buggy - as well as people who helped raise thousands of pounds last year for his specialist equipment - 65-year-old Powell is back playing once more.

On using his ParaGolfer Buggy, based at North Foreland in Broadstairs, he said: “Obviously, it has health and safety aspects to it.

“You have got to be strapped in and my knees are held in place, and I’ve got a strap which is held across my chest as a seatbelt sort of thing.

“I remember the first time I had a go in it. I was a bit wary of going up in the air because I hadn’t done it for such a long time. I didn’t realise how tall I was!

“It’s enabled me to have a new lease of life and do something I’ve loved for so many years.

“I didn’t play for two-and-a-half years when I was in hospital and then had to do the rehabilitation as well. Then, obviously, I had to wait to get the ParaGolfer.

“So it was quite a feat on the Saturday morning when I got up and hit my first shot at North Foreland.”

Some of Powell’s tougher days came at Queen Mary’s Hospital in London two years ago.

“I was in hospital for 10 months which was during Covid times,” he explained. “I didn’t have any visitors or stuff like that.

“When I was told towards the latter part that I’d never walk again, I was quite upset, thinking ‘Crikey, I’ll never be able to play golf again!’. But I had some sessions up at the hospital I was in,