A South Wales choir has been ‘inspired’ to raise funds for Wales Air Ambulance after a member’s husband was attended by clinicians after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Penderyn Community Choir entertained an audience at Ramoth concert hall back in June after the lifesaving service came to the aid of Keri Daniels.
Keri and his wife Helen were visiting their daughter at her home in March 2024 when he collapsed.
The family called 999, whilst a neighbour administered CPR, and another ran to the Community Centre to get a defibrillator.
Dr Anne Savan, Musical Director of Penderyn Community Choir said: “Keri was in a bad way, he was worked on constantly whilst they waited for medics to arrive.
“Within quarter of an hour the air ambulance team were walking through the door and took over.
“Keri required multiple shocks from the defib and was without a heartbeat for some time.
Once the clinicians were able to stabilise him, they intubated him and prepared him for transfer to hospital.
“Because he was on a ventilator it was decided that he would travel by road, with the air ambulance crew accompanying him, on blue lights all the way to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.”
Keri remained intubated for 24 hours and had to undergo surgery which involved the fitting of six stents and a defibrillator to his heart.
Dr Savan said: “Thanks to the exceptional care at the scene by the clinicians – Keri has gone on to make an amazing recovery and is back out and about in the community.
“Helen is forever grateful to the service because of their dedication, skill, and rapid intervention. They undoubtedly saved his life.”
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 critical care.
Dr Savan says a sudden health emergency could happen to anyone’ and believes the service was ‘critical to Keri’s survival.’
She continued: “Helen took some time away from the choir when Keri suffered his heart attack, but when she returned, we were all so concerned.
“She explained what had happened and immediately asked if we as a choir could do something as a way of saying thank you.”
She added: “As a choir we do not charge for our performances, we just ask those who attend if they could donate to the cause we are fundraising for.
“So, of course we all wanted to do our bit to help raise as much money as we could for this incredible Charity.”
The mother of four, grandmother of three with another due in October, does the Wales Air Ambulance lottery each week. Whilst attending Ysbyty Cwm Cynon she approached the Charity’s lottery representative there.
She said: “It was so fortuitous that we struck up a conversation about the work of the service and I explained what we were hoping to do.
“They then put me in touch with the local Regional Fundraising Manager, Christian Sullivan.”
On the 6 June 2025 Penderyn Community Choir performed in Ramoth, an old chapel which has been converted into a concert hall.
Dr Savan says it is a ‘wonderful venue’ and has nothing but praise for its team, who gave their services for free on the night.
She added: “They did not charge us for the hire of the hall or the technician; they looked after the door for us as they wanted to give their full support to the cause as well.
“That meant everyone who donated on the night, all their money went to Wales Air Ambulance, which is incredible.”
The choir has a mixed repertoire and opened their concert with songs from famous musicals like Cabaret and Sister Act, followed by rock and pop classics.
Dr Savan added: “All That Jazz,’ ‘I Will Follow Him,’ ‘Waterloo,’ and ‘Here Comes The Sun,’ along with some well-loved Welsh songs got the audience singing and clapping along.
“We also had a soloist perform with us, Spencer Martin who does this professionally and he also did not charge us for the evening.”
Dr Savan, who was a science teacher before gaining her PHD Psychology, has always been involved with choirs.
She was ‘delighted’ to be asked to become Penderyn Community Choir’s Musical Director three years ago and says they started off with just 12 members, doubling their numbers within four months.
She said: “Once we got our numbers up, I thought we needed to put on a concert locally. That opened the doors, and we have just gone from strength to strength.
“We are asked to perform at many places and have done ever since. We have raised thousands of pounds for fantastic causes over the years.
Penderyn Community Choir is always looking for new members. Dr Savan said: “We have people from all ages in our group, from 18 to 80, we’ve got teachers, doctors, nurses, factory, local government and office workers, as well as retirees.
“When we come together it is a great escape for everyone. We have young mums who look forward to having two hours to themselves to do something that they enjoy.
“Some people are lonely and enjoy the social aspect to it. We sing, but we also have a break in the middle where we have tea and cake and catch up with each other.”
The group plan to visit one of the Wales Air Ambulance bases very soon to handover a cheque for £1,200.
Christian Sullivan, Regional Fundraising Manager for Wales Air Ambulance said: “It was wonderful to support the Penderyn Community Choir’s concert in aid of our Charity.
“They are an incredible group, and we had a fantastic evening, I even found myself singing along. The audience loved it too, especially when they started belting out Abba!
“It was an honour to be asked along and to talk about the work of our lifesaving service. Our clinicians and pilots travel the length and breadth of the country each day, whenever or wherever patients need us.
“Our supporters play a key role in enabling us to continue to do what we do, this wonderful event has raised over £1,200, which will help save lives.”
