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The inaugural Teen Haven Golf Tournament fundraiser will tee off this Saturday.

The charity event, rescheduled from last month after Tropical Storm Karl hit the island, will be held at the Belmont Hills Golf Course.

Money generated from the tournament will go to the Teen Haven residential facility in Pembroke, which looks after young women who need assistance and their children.

The initiative was founded in 1948 by teacher Millicent “Millie” Neverson, when Teen Haven was originally situated on Berkeley Road.

It was taken over in 1976 by Teen Services, which changed the charity’s remit to focus on females as a means of managing the pregnancy rate in the young population.

Women are referred to the facility, which is staffed 24 hours a day, via various means.

Their parents may be deceased, they may be transitioning out of foster care, their family may not be able to accommodate their pregnancy, or they might arrive on the advice of a guidance counsellor, doctor or family court.

“Teen Haven is a vital service which provides stability and safety for young families,” said the charity’s director Michelle Wade. “It provides temporary respite for them — offering housing, counselling and life skills training — until they’re able to move onto the next level in their life.”

“Teen Haven prepares these young ladies for independent living,” added board member Olga Scott.

The facility on Happy Valley Road has a family feel to it, Ms Scott said, with about eight women staying there at any given time, some with children.

“The rooms have their own bathrooms, and there’s a communal living room and kitchen, plus laundry and playground equipment in the back yard,” Ms Scott said.

Although the charity receives some funding through financial assistance, it also relies on corporate donations and fundraising efforts such as the upcoming golf tournament.

Registration for the event is open to teams of four, priced at $110 per person.

For information and registration, call 238-0520.

Michelle Wade, Director of Teen Haven (Photograph by Blaire Simmons)