A PCI PHARMA Services employee who ran the Chester Half Marathon in aid of Wales Air Ambulance exactly a year ago will be back on the start line again this weekend (Sunday 18 May, 2025).
Line Leader Simon Jones works at the company’s Hay-On-Wye site, which nominated the lifesaving service as its Charity partner for 2023-25.
The 40-year-old, who has lived in Brecon all his life, says he ‘didn’t have to think twice’, about running for ‘such a worthy cause.’
The father of two said: “I teamed up with my brothers-in-law, Tom Price, HR Manager at the Hay site, and Ben Keylock, who used to work there too.
“We’re all married to three sisters, whose family live in Chester, so it was a fantastic opportunity for us all to come together, run and fundraise.”
Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.
It is delivered via a unique third-sector and public-sector partnership. The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.
This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.
As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.
PCI’s team attended Wales Air Ambulance’s Cardiff Heliport last year for a base visit.
Simon said: “You cannot truly understand the scale of the service and what the clinicians do until you see it up close.
“It was quite extraordinary to see inside the helicopter and get a run of all the kit they carry.
“It’s unbelievable the amount of stuff they take with them, from blood products to ultrasound devices and special baby pods.”
He added: “As you can imagine, the level of expertise is world-class, and the training is constant.
“It was fantastic to talk with the doctor and pilot who were on call that day. It reinforced how important our Charity Partnership is and what a worthy recipient the lifesaving service is.”
You can find out more about the work of the Wales Air Ambulance on the Charity’s website. This includes videos from past patients.
Simon said: “When we watched Josh Tayman’s story, it was unbelievable how he escaped with his life.
“He was walking in such a quiet and secluded spot and yet the team were able to take the emergency department to him.
“It’s often hard to put yourself in someone else’s position, but really you should just try, because you would want the best team to come to you if you were critically ill or injured.”
He continued: “By helping raise funds for the air ambulance, you are ensuring that it is there for you, your children, parents, friends and neighbours, should they need the service in the future.”
With just days to this year’s Chester Half Marathon, Simon has been reflecting on what it felt like doing his first half.
He said: “I was nervous, despite having done lots of 10Ks before. But I did it in one hour and thirty-four minutes, which is much better than I expected because it was a warm day as well.”
Simon says the final stretch was the hardest part. He said: “It was like one big hill, at that point I really felt like stopping.
“But then I thought about those who work for the air ambulance and the people they help, it spurred me on to keep running up that hill.”
He admitted he started to well up at one point and added: “It was quite emotional seeing all those people lining the streets and cheering you on.”
When Simon got to the finish line, he was greeted by his entire family. He said: “My daughters, wife, her aunties and my father-in-law were all there in the crowd watching it. They embraced me at the end.
“My wife’s uncle was there too, he was waiting with a pint of beer, because I decided in the months before that I wanted to take my training seriously and had cut out alcohol for a few months. That pint tasted lovely!”
Kate Thomas, the Charity’s Regional Fundraising Manager for Powys, said: “It’s fantastic how Simon and his brothers-in-law turned their running challenge into a massive family reunion, whilst raising funds for our lifesaving service!
“We cannot thank them enough for all the hard work they put in to get themselves over the finish line.
“Thousands of runners will be taking part in the Chester Half Marathon this weekend and our team sends their best wishes.
“It’s always wonderful to see our Wales Air Ambulance running vest pass by on the course.
“Without our supporters, we wouldn’t be able to continue to do what we do. Every pound really does make a difference.“
