Published: 09 February 2024

A north Wales driving school has presented the Wales Air Ambulance with a cheque for over £1,000.

The owners and Directors of Carmel Driving School, near Caernarfon, decided to hold a successful raffle at a motor event, with the proceeds being shared between the Wales Air Ambulance and Epilepsy Action Wales.

In total the raffle raised an amazing £2,100.

On behalf of Carmel Driving School, Ffion Flynn said: “We wanted to raise funds for the charity as the air ambulance is a vital service for those in North Wales. The air ambulance is very important to those in North Wales as it provides rapid response for those in medical emergencies especially in areas that are not as easy to get to by ambulance.”

The charity raffle, which was priced at £5 a ticket, consisted of three prizes. The first prize winner won a course of their choice with everything included - medical, theories, training, initial CPC and driving test.

The other two winners won a £50 and £20 voucher to spend at Carmel Driving School.

Ffion added: “We were very pleased to raise such an amazing amount from our raffle and are very thankful for all the support we had from local individuals and businesses who purchased tickets.”

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.  

Wales Air Ambulance’s Community Fundraiser, Alwyn Jones said: “We were delighted to be presented with a cheque of £1,050 at our Caernarfon airbase. Warmest thanks goes to Carmel Driving School for not only raising vital funds for our lifesaving service but also raising funds for another Welsh charity. The support from the driving school will help keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road throughout Wales. Diolch yn fawr pawb.”