A Montgomeryshire sell-out ball has raised over £5,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance.

The event, organised by Holly Spurr, took place at the Montgomery Town Hall earlier this summer.

Vet Holly set out to raise awareness of the Wales Air Ambulance in her local area and wanted to involve as many local businesses as possible.

With help from her mother Sue, she managed to put on a successful evening, which included a three course meal, raffle, promise auction and live music. She also had a couple of displays for some of the event sponsors to promote themselves.

The event was a huge success and sold out as soon as people heard about it.

Holly said: “I couldn’t believe the speed at which the event sold out. We didn’t even have time to put up posters or send out flyers. It just shows how keen our local community are to support such an important cause. 

“We all had such a brilliant time and it was pretty special walking into the room and seeing it all lit up. The auction was entertaining as people really got into the spirit of it. 

“We raised a total of £5,126.82 - not too bad for a first attempt we thought. This was raised between the ticket money, sponsorship, the raffle, the auction and of course donations after the event itself. People were so kind.”

Holly decided to raise money for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity as she sees the vital work of the Charity through her job.

She said: “As a vet, I have come across many farmers, horse riders and general countryside lovers who have been saved by the Wales Air Ambulance and this is why it means so much to me. I am all too aware that this could be me one day.

“The feedback I have received has been so positive. People had such a great time and knew they were making a difference to something important. Since the pandemic there haven’t been many events like this and it almost felt like everyone was coming together again.

“I was so pleased we did it, and I think mum was too when she recovered! I would definitely do it again.”

Wales Air Ambulance, which was founded in 2001, is an all-Wales service that has completed over 46,000 missions since its inception. The Charity needs to raise £11.2 million every year to keep its four helicopters in the air and fleet of rapid response vehicles on the road.

Wales Air Ambulance offers advanced critical care that is delivered via a unique Third Sector and Public Sector partnership between the Wales Air Ambulance Charity and the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS Cymru). 

As a result, the service is consultant-led and is known as a ‘flying emergency department’, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient. This includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.

Jane Griffiths, Senior Community and Corporate Manager for the Wales Air Ambulance, said: “Well done to Holly and her mum Sue for organising such a successful event and highlighting the work of our lifesaving Charity.

“To raise more than £5,000 for her first event is remarkable and Holly should feel extremely proud of herself. Your donation will help the Charity to serve the people of Wales and save lives, 24 hours a day.”