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5th June 2018

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Wales Air Ambulance has waved a fond farewell to a pillar of the Pembrokeshire community – Tony Key OBE who has retired.

Tony has been the local charity community coordinator for Pembrokeshire since 2012 and leaves the role having helped to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Prior to his retirement, Tony said: “It has been a pleasure to work for the charity and I have loved every minute of the experience.”

From County shows to New Year’s Day Swims and even sheep racing, Tony has overseen some of the largest and wackiest events in aid of the charity across Pembrokeshire.

Tony added: “In my time at the charity I have seen my fair share of events, some of which will stay with me forever. I fondly remember our helicopter push from Cardigan to Fishguard which despite health and safety planning was an enormous success.

“I also recall our 86-year-old volunteer John Hardwicke abseiling down the walls of the 11th century Pembroke Castle, which was quite a feat in itself.”

Tony leaves the charity on the back of one of the most successful local events to date. The Grand Charity Concert which was held at Folly Farm recently featured performances from Rhys Meirion and Trystan Llŷr Griffiths and raised an incredible £8,000.

Tony added: “The Grand Charity concert was nothing short of a privilege to be involved with and I would like to thank everyone involved for arranging it in aid of Wales Air Ambulance.”

Wales Air Ambulance Fundraising Manager Mark Stevens said: “We are sorry to see Tony go, and would like to thank him for his dedication to the charity over the last six years. He has become a familiar face to many across Pembrokeshire and has helped us to spread the good word of Wales Air Ambulance. We wish him well in his retirement.”

Despite his retirement, Tony will continue to support the charity through joining the team of volunteers he once supported. Tony said: “The most outstanding memory for me will be the commitment of the volunteers to freely give their time to support what is a vital tool in the health and well-being of the people of Wales.”