A Pembrokeshire business owner has raised an incredible £2,000 for Wales Air Ambulance after it came to the aid of a friend’s daughter.
Christine ‘Chrissie’ Bonner from Little Haven gave a whole new meaning to the twelve days of Christmas, back in December last year.
She pulled on her bather and bobble cap completing twelve dips during the festivities to help raise funds for the lifesaving service.
Chrissie says, ‘Wales Air Ambulance is very dear to the people of Pembrokeshire.’
She continued: “We live in such a rural area and there is so much to do outdoors. I love the water, so paddleboarding, fishing, boating, anything that I can do in the sea, I will.”
Sea temperatures during the Winter can range from 6°C to 11.8°C, but Chrissie says cold-water swimming has become one of her favourite activities.
She has ‘no trouble getting in the water anytime of the year’ and continued: “It just makes you feel amazing.
“You have just got to get your bather on, wrap up in your Dry Robe, and get a little kit bag together and head to the beach.
“Once on the sand, you cannot hang about, you need to strip off, get in and no dipping, get straight under. Then make sure you get out after a few minutes.
“You will feel the benefits straight away, you will feel refreshed, your skin will feel tight and tingly. Everyone should do it!”
The 59-year-old, who runs a holiday cottage business in Little Haven, decided to take on the fundraising challenge as a way of saying thank you after witnessing first-hand the difference the charity can make.
She explained: “My dear friend Nicky’s daughter was involved in a road traffic collision in a rural location several years ago.
“Her injuries were so severe, the Wales Air Ambulance came to her aid. Without this service, it could have been a very different outcome.
“There is no doubt the clinicians who attended her that day saved her life. Her family often organise fundraising events for the charity, and I wanted to do my bit too.”
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 £13 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 critical care.
Chrissie wanted to raise as much as she could for the Charity and enlisted the help of her niece and nephew to spread the word.
“Thank goodness for Kath and Mick,” she laughed. “They set up a GoFundMe page for me. They wanted to set the fundraising target at £1,000, but I said £500 would be enough.
“I would have been so grateful to reach that goal, people have been so generous. I am incredibly thankful to everyone who supported me.”
Chrissie was supported throughout the challenge by family and friends, who kept her company during her daily dips in all kinds of weather.
“I had lots of encouragement and support,” she said. “Zoe, Nicky and a few friends from my circuits group joined me, and my nephew Bob and great-niece Nadia.
“We swam in the rain, when the surf was up, and on lovely calm days too. It was a real mix of conditions, but we had great fun.”
She also persuaded her partner, Pete, a retired helm and now Launching Authority for the Little & Broad Haven Lifeboat, to get involved. Pete, who works for Puffin Produce, mentioned the challenge to colleagues at work.
“When Pete told the team at Puffin Produce what I was doing, they donated very generously,” Chrissie said. “They even said they would double their donation if Pete did a dip too.”
Their support helped boost the final fundraising total to an impressive £2,000.
Mike May, Wales Air Ambulance Regional Fundraising Manager: “It is impressive that Chrissie took on twelve cold-water dips in the depths of Winter, to raise funds for our Charity. And that she managed to rope in family and friends too!
“We are grateful that she chose our Charity as a beneficiary after our crew came to the aid of her friend’s daughter, and relieved to hear that she has made a good recovery.
“Our supporters play such a vital role in helping us raise the £13 million it costs each year to ensure our service is there for the people of Wales, whenever and wherever they need us.
“£2,000 is an incredible amount, and we are very thankful to each person who donated. Every pound raised makes a lifesaving difference. Diolch yn fawr!”
