Staff at Educ8 Group are on course to hit their fundraising target for Wales Air Ambulance after their golf day was a huge success.
The Group, which also includes ISA Training, Aspire 2Be and Haddon Training, provides fully funded apprenticeships and training to organisations of all sizes and sectors, across the country.
They rallied stakeholders and partners to take part in their event at Whitchurch Golf Club in Cardiff on Thursday, 9 October 2025.
Grant Santos, Chief Executive at Educ8, said: “When we announced our partnership with Wales Air Ambulance back in August last year, we knew we wanted to put on a big event!
“Our golf day was a fantastic opportunity to expose the Charity to our partners, stakeholders and contacts and raise awareness about the work it does.
“The highlight for me was past patient Anthony Crothers sharing his incredible story of survival, after he needed the service after collapsing during a walk in Gower.
“It was very moving to hear him speak so openly about his experience and how the air ambulance team brought the emergency room to him.
“Anthony put the whole day in perspective; we were there for one reason alone and that was to help raise as much as we could for this incredible lifesaving service.”
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.
“Throughout this partnership, we’ve had the patients who are being helped each day, in the back of our mind”, says Josh Rees, Senior Business Development Manager at Educ8.
“A team of us went to Cardiff Heliport for a base visit and got to tour the facilities, meet the crew and learn about the work they do.
“That first-hand experience really motivated our team to want to do a variety of activities, from climbing mountains and running in half-marathons, to baking cakes. Our senior directors even grew moustaches to raise funds.”
He continued: “So the golf day, was the first time all of us came together for a big team event, seventy-two of us took part, and we had eighteen teams.
“There were a variety of events, with a chipping challenge, an auction and raffles taking place. Everyone was so generous on the day, and we really couldn’t have asked for more.”
Huw Moore, Business Development Director at Haddon Training pulled the whole event together. He said: “We’re delighted to share that our recent Charity Golf Day at Whitchurch Golf Club raised an incredible £9,000 in support of Wales Air Ambulance — a truly worthy cause that saves lives across our communities.
“The day was filled with camaraderie, friendly competition, and plenty of laughter.
“While we all enjoyed a fantastic day on the course, it was humbling to know that our efforts are helping to make a real difference.”
Abi Pearce, the Charity’s Corporate Partnerships Manager, expressed her heartfelt gratitude: “What an incredible day! I’d like to extend our thanks to Grant and his team for once again pulling out all the stops for our Charity.
“To raise £9,000 in nine hours, is just extraordinary and shows the passion and dedication of all those who took part in the golf day, their generosity will help save many lives.
“It was wonderful to have our past patient Anthony join us on the anniversary of his incident, exactly twelve months to the day. His presence made such a difference and illustrated the positive impact our service can have on patient outcomes.
“We have attended over 55,000 missions, each one involves a patient, and their health journey affects the lives of family, friends and colleagues across Wales and beyond.”
She added: “Corporate partnerships like the one we have with Educ8 Group are vital to our Charity. They not only raise essential funds but also provide a platform to help raise awareness – enabling us to continue to deliver advanced critical care to those who need it most.” If you’d like to know more about corporate partnerships and fundraising opportunities, please email corporate@walesairambulance.com
