Published: 07 March 2024

Ascona Group has reached its £100k fundraising target for Wales Air Ambulance and is delighted to have renewed its support to the charity.

Ascona Group (‘Ascona’), the 7th largest UK independent forecourt operator and one of the fastest growing companies in Wales for the last three years, has made another £50,000 donation to its charity partner, the Wales Air Ambulance, as it hit its ambitious fundraising target in the 2023/24 financial year.

After Ascona made initial donations of £10,000 in March 2023 and £40,000 in November 2023, the Group has made the additional donation following the success of its fundraising activities across its portfolio of first-class roadside retail destinations over the last few months

Combined, Ascona reached its incredible fundraising target of £100,000 for the charity over the course of the year-long partnership.

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. For the patient, this can mean hours saved when compared to standard care and is proven to greatly improve survival and early recovery. 

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.  

Ascona continued to show its support to the lifesaving charity by renewing their partnership, and once again has committed to raise £100,000 in the next financial year.

Darren Briggs, Founder and CEO of Ascona Group, said: “I am thrilled that we were able to make another significant donation to this vital charity. Over the last 12 months, we have been able to hit our ambitious fundraising target and we’re delighted to renew our partnership with the Wales Air Ambulance for the 2024/25 financial year.

“This time, we expect to raise a further £100,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance, which will help to ensure this brilliant charity can continue to deliver lifesaving medical care to people across Wales. Since we launched Ascona in 2011, supporting our local communities has been at the heart of everything we do so I am very proud that we continue to play such an active role in supporting charities like Wales Air Ambulance who make such a difference to communities across Wales.”

The Wales Air Ambulance Charity is funded by the people of Wales and relies entirely on charitable donations to raise £11.2 million every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road across Wales.

Wales Air Ambulance completed over 43,000 missions and is on standby 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Dr Sue Barnes, Chief Executive, Wales Air Ambulance, said: “We are all deeply grateful for the level of support we’ve received from Ascona this year. Working with Ascona on our partnership over the last year has been a positive and rewarding experience, and we are delighted to be able to continue this relationship for the next 12 months.

“On behalf of all crew, staff and patients, I’d like to thank the entire Ascona team for their hard work over the last year, as well as everyone who made donations. Without the help of organisations like Ascona, our charity wouldn’t exist.”