A promising young sportsman from Bridlington has become the first person to benefit from the Freeman 1st Foundation.
The charity is providing financial support for Matthew Raybould during his golf scholarship at the Lenoir–Rhyne University in North Carolina, the United States. The assistance means he can focus on developing his natural talent into a career as a professional golfer without having to worry about living expenses.
Matthew has been competing for his college at courses across the USA including the prestigious World Golf Village in Florida, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame, and secured a top five finish at the two-day Donald Ross Intercollegiate tournament.


Matthew (pictured above left) is improving in all aspects of his game and learning about what it takes to be a professional sportsman while living a long way from his home in East Yorkshire. Matthew is also working hard on his academic career and has been enjoying the subjects of Spanish and accounting. He won a place on the university’s Bridges to Dreams programme to fast-track his studies for an MBA.
The Freeman 1st Foundation is helping Matthew by making contributions to his travel, health insurance, tuition and accommodation costs. The charity trustees are delighted with Matthew’s sporting and academic progress to date and wish him every success for the future.
Lesley Jackson said: “Matthew is a fine example of a talented young man who is working hard to realise his ambitions, on and off the fairway. We founded Freeman 1st Foundation to help people like Matthew achieve their potential by providing the right kind of support at the right time.”
Born in September 1998, Matthew attended Bridlington School Sports College and served as captain of Yorkshire Boys during his junior golf career.