A successful charity gig held in aid of the Wales Air Ambulance has raised £687 for a lifesaving charity.

Del Page, from Llandysul organised the charity gig last month to mark the Wales Air Ambulance’s 21st anniversary.

The Wales Air Ambulance celebrated its 21st anniversary on St David’s Day. Now operational 24/7, the Charity needs to raise £8 million every year to keep the helicopters flying.

The gig attracted around 70 people and was held at the Grannell Hotel in Lampeter and the landlady, Jo Eveleigh, kindly donated the use of her venue free of charge.

This is the second charity gig that Del has organised in aid of Wales Air Ambulance, Del previously raised £1,050 for the Charity in 2020, when they held a gig at Porth Hotel in Llandysul.

Due to covid restrictions the previous gig was held outdoors in a marquee, this year’s gig saw a lot more people turn up and show their support on the night.

Speaking of the importance of the Wales Air Ambulance and why they wanted to raise funds for the Charity Del said: “As we live in a rural area, we felt that it was an ideal Charity to raise money for, we have seen them in action in the valley below us and know that they are a vital service when ambulances can't do the job where time is of the essence. Living in a rural area, we feel the Wales Air Ambulance is extremely vital.”

Wales Air Ambulance offers advanced critical care and is often described as a ‘Flying ED’. The on-board consultants and critical care practitioners are highly skilled and carry some of the most pioneering medical equipment in the world. They can deliver blood transfusions, administer anaesthesia, and undertake emergency operations at the scene of the incident, before flying the patient directly to specialist care.

Del and his partner Annette McGrath are very pleased with the money they have raised and have said they will be happy to organise another fundraising gig in the not-too-distant future.

Helen Pruett, Community Fundraiser for the Wales Air Ambulance, said: “A huge thank you to Del for organising another successful gig, in aid of our Charity, to mark our 21^st anniversary. In total the gigs have raised a fantastic £1,737. Thank you to Jo Eveleigh who allowed the gig to take place free of charge at the Grannell Hotel and everyone who supported the fundraiser. We’re delighted to hear that Del is planning to organise another gig in the future.

“We regularly attended life and limb-threatening emergencies in Ceredigion. Donations like this are vital and we know how important our service is, particularly for rural areas. By keeping our helicopters in the air we can continue to take the emergency department to the patient, saving time and saving lives.”

There are several ways that the public can continue to support the Wales Air Ambulance. These include online donations, signing up to the Charity’s Lifesaving Lottery or by coming up with their own innovative ways to fundraise at home. Further information can be found via www.walesairambulance.com. 

Alternatively, a £5 text-message donation can be made by texting the word HELI to 70711.