A Wales Air Ambulance volunteer has raised over £41,000 for the lifesaving service over the past six years alone.
Richard ‘Barney’ Lewis, who is a driver for Pembrokeshire County Council Transport Bus and Coaches, decided to start fundraising for the Charity after suffering a serious health episode in 2010.
He said: “I had a mini-stroke and the two paramedics who came to my aid also worked for the Wales Air Ambulance.
“The service has changed a lot since then, there was no helicopter after dark and no clinicians onboard.
“But now there are four helicopters, with clinicians onboard and the night service from Cardiff, which cover the whole of Wales.
“It’s really fantastic how the emergency department travels to the patient, and they can do everything at the scene.”
The 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 Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
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.
This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.
As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.
Richard decided to become a volunteer after starting to fundraise for the air ambulance on his return to work.
He said: “It took me eighteen months to fully recover after my mini-stroke and when I was fit enough, I wanted to give back to the lifesaving service.
“I’ve raised quite a bit over the years, I’ve lost count how much, I just love supporting the Charity because it helps thousands of people across Wales.”
Richard has organised sponsored bike rides and a few walks, including a 100-mile challenge last
October.
He said: “I suffer with sciatica, so I spread the 100-miles out over three months.
“I would walk from Pembroke Dock out to Milton and back. One day I went out a bit further and took a bucket with me.
“I popped into a local pub for a glass of water, and they let me collect there, then I went into Café 9 and ended up at Bethany Chapel. There were some ladies holding a coffee morning there and they were putting £5 notes in my bucket.
“I raised roughly around £178 on that day alone.”
Richard has now set up a monthly tabletop and coffee morning at Pennar Community Centre.
He said: “I used to do a car boot sale but working full-time, six days a week and long hours, you need to be at the pitch by 4.30am to get a good spot, and that was too much.
“So, I decided to start a monthly event at Pennar Community Hall. I have lots of donated prizes for the tombola too.
“We raised £300 at our first event, which is a super amount. The next one is on June the 28th, we start at 10.00am and finish at 2.00pm.”
He added: “We’ve got a great team involved with this with my friends Pauline Morgan, Jessica Lewis, Heidi Rowland and the Spinnaker Café making the cakes.
“The café which is based in Milford Marina has also kindly donated four picnic benches to put outside, which will hopefully encourage more customers during the nice weather.”
Richard also often gets given items people no longer want, he has become an expert at finding them
a new home and turning that into money for the Charity.
He said: “I put them on Market Place and sell them with all funds raised going to the air ambulance.
“Since the 1st of January, I have raised £999, and that is without including all the other stuff I do.
“People are so generous when they know who I am fundraising for, everyone knows what an incredible service it is and how important it is to communities across Wales.
“I aim to keep volunteering for the Charity for as long as I can, I have made new friends and it is a great way to keep social and get outdoors. I would recommend it to anyone.”
Mike May, Regional Fundraising Manager for Wales Air Ambulance said: “Barney is a fabulous ambassador for our Charity! We are hugely grateful for his dedication and support.
“He has raised an incredible £41,000, which is an extraordinary amount which will have helped save many lives. It is the equivalent cost of around thirteen missions.
“Our volunteers play a huge role within the Wales Air Ambulance family, helping raise awareness about what we do through talks at events, helping with fundraising and collecting donations.
“We hope Barney’s story will inspire others and encourage people to volunteer for our lifesaving service.”
Sandra Hembery, Volunteer Development Manager, said: “Barney is an absolute star! He is a shining example of what can be achieved by our most dedicated volunteers.
“Barney has given of his time across many years and in all weathers and we are truly grateful for his outstanding service.
“A huge thanks to Barney for his contribution to our lifesaving missions.”
If you’re interested in donating your time to Wales Air Ambulance, visit www.walesairambulance.com/volunteer.
