A SUCCESSFUL coffee morning by residents of a Carmarthenshire sheltered housing complex has raised over £600 for a lifesaving charity.
The residents at St Davids Avenue, which is a Council run sheltered housing community in Whitland, made a collective decision to support the Wales Air Ambulance.
Last year the residents raised over £500 for Macmillan at their popular coffee morning and next year they plan on fundraising for the Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Resident John Selley who was one of the organisers said: “This year we excelled what we raised last year and we’re only a small group. It was a great morning, and we were ecstatic to raise over £614. We picked the Wales Air Ambulance because we want to support local charities, and the Wales Air Ambulance covers the whole of Wales with its lifesaving service.”
The fundraising event, which was open to everyone, not just residents, included a combination of beautiful homemade cake sales and a raffle. The Wales Air Ambulance merchandise was a very popular selling item. The Bric a Brac stall raised £200 alone and the morning saw copious amounts of tea and coffee consumed.
The residents were delighted that they had the support of local businesses who provided prizes for the raffle. They want to say a huge thank you to the businesses for their support.
The Wales Air Ambulance Charity needs to raise £11.2 million each year to keep its helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road. Donations and fundraising events are key to the service’s survival.
The 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 Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.
As a pan-Wales service, the dedicated air ambulance crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.
Mike May, Regional Fundraising Manager for the Wales Air Ambulance was delighted to accept the cheque from the residents.
He said: “It was lovely to meet the residents at St Davids Avenue who worked so hard to make the coffee morning a wonderful fundraising event. It sounded like a wonderful morning for everyone who was able to make it.
“They were delighted to exceed their fundraising amount from last year, and we are delighted that our Charity was chosen this year. We wish them all the best of luck with their future fundraising coffee mornings.
“The charity needs to raise £11.2 million each year, and without support like this we wouldn’t be able to be there for the people of the Wales when they need us most. Thank you to the organisers, residents and everyone who helped them raise these vital funds.”
If you’d like to host your own coffee morning for the all-Wales Charity, pre-register your interest to their Coffee and Cake fundraiser via Wales Air ambulance’s Coffee & Cake webpage.
