Supermarket staff and their customers have raised an incredible £40,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity in tribute to the team reaching 50,000 missions earlier this year.
Twenty-five Tesco Extra and twenty-three Express stores have taken part in a fundraiser which spanned from Milford Haven, up to Aberystwyth across to Caerphilly.
Regional store managers Nicola McGuiness and Vanessa Martin worked with their teams to “create something special” after learning the lifesaving service had supported many of its staff members’ family and friends.
Martin, who runs an Express store in Swansea, said: “A colleague’s father, had a health emergency and needed the air ambulance, so we all felt it was a really important cause to get behind.”
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.
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.
The service is pan-Wales, and Matt Bourne who runs a Tesco Extra in Bridgend said it was important to reflect that by trying to get as many stores as possible across the country involved.
“It has been fantastic working together across the Tesco family. We have been able to bring together all our colleagues from the Extra stores, like Bridgend where I work to the express stores like Martin’s in Sketty.
Matt is a keen runner who oftens takes on big challenges like marathons and ultra marathons. He said: “Given my record, when I first reached out to colleagues, they were quire apprehensive.
“But once they knew we were organising a slightly smaller do-able walk, they were delighted.
Around forty staff took part in a 12-mile hike along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path from Freshwater East to Broadhaven South on 15 September 2024. Local landlord Nigel Land, from Jack’s at the Longhouse provided shelter, hot drinks, and cooked food for the team.
Matt said: “It was great to catch up with so many people who we’ve worked with in the past who have moved to other stores, and I hadn’t seen for years.
“It was a positive experience, not only because we’re helping a great local charity, but just to catch up and take some time out in the beautiful Welsh country.
“We were super grateful that Nigel at Jack’s at the Longhouse – stepped in and saved the day too – he really looked after us all.”
Each store has organised their own fundraisers from second-hand book sales, cake bakes too sponsored fitness challenges.
Matt continued: “There were running and cycling events in store, with gym machines brought in.
“The ones fortunate enough to have close links with their local air ambulance base managed to get pop up banners, which looked great.”
He added: “We’ve felt the love from customers running groups, cycling groups, motorbike groups, people that have had lots of experience with the Welsh air ambulance.
“This has been such an easy thing to raise money for because people are so enthusiastic about the charity, which encouraged us to keep going.”
Larger stores were set a £1,500 target, whilst the smaller ones were tasked with raising £250.
“There’s been a playful sense of competition between a few of the large stores, including Haverfordwest and Carmarthen who raised £2,300 between them.
“I think once we get the final figure, everyone will feel a real sense of pride.”
He added: “It was a bigger hill for the smaller stores to climb too, so it’s great that the larger ones did so well. They’ve done a brilliant job.”
Martin who lives near the air ambulance’s base in Dafen near Llanelli, says he often sees it taken off from the back garden of his home.
He said: “It’s one of those things that you fundraise for, but you never want to have to use because you know it’s only coming to you if you are seriously unwell or injured.”
The whole team have been over-whelmed by the kindness shown to them. Local suppliers like Braces Bread donated £500 and a signed Swans shirt appeared on Martin’s desk.
He said: “I only mentioned on our store Facebook page what we were doing and a female customer messaged saying she’d get the team to sign this season’s shirt.”
Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £11.2 million every year to keep its helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
Martin said: “It costs such a huge amount of money each year to run and what we have raised in comparison is a real drop in the ocean.
“But over these past few months, everyone we’ve spoken with and told what we were doing have been very positive about supporting the cause.”
He added: “I think most people don’t realise how much these clinicians do at the scene. It has educated us about the work the air ambulance does.
“It is one of those things that you want to help fundraise for but never want to have to use because you know they are only coming to you if you are seriously unwell or injured.”
The Tesco team recently visited Wales Air Ambulance’s airbase in Dafen, to hand over a cheque for £40,000. Martin said: “It’s so fascinating to actually come and see the base. When you do the fundraising and your challenges, you don’t think about the area where the helicopter comes from, or the people involved.
“But just coming here and seeing the facilities and the clinicians, it has been incredible to see everything up close and in action. We were here when the team were called out and watched it take off and then return.
“It’s just an eye opener to watch behind the scenes what actually goes on, we are just so happy to have been able to raise as much money as we have for such a great cause.”
Mike May, Regional Fundraising Manager for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity said: “We were hugely proud to complete 50,000 missions earlier this year, but we could not have done it without fundraisers like this.
“The team at Tesco have been incredible, they really pulled out all the stops to make this happen and it has been wonderful for my colleagues Abi Pearce and Christian Sullivan and I, to support them along the way.
“To raise just over £40,000 is an incredible feat! It has been inspiring to see how everyone has pulled together. We are hugely grateful to all the staff and customers who made this possible.
“Each mission costs around £2,900, one hour of aftercare with our patient liaison team costs £31- so this large donation will really make a huge difference to so many people and help save lives across Wales.”
