A Gwynedd housing manager has helped raise over two thousand pounds for Wales Air Ambulance with several fundraising events to mark her 50th birthday.
Heulwen Jones started off in September with a 50-mile hike from Maentwrog to Porthmadog. Just weeks later she was running the Cardiff Half Marathon for the first time. The month ended with a spooky gathering at her local pub with a Halloween Bingo Night.
It’s all part of her mission to raise as much as she can for the lifesaving service.
Heulwen who works at an independent sheltered living accommodation in Tremadog, said:
“I’ve had such a busy few months organising events in aid of Wales Air Ambulance as part of my big birthday celebrations!
“I’ve really loved taking on new challenges which have got me out of my comfort zone. I’ve got around six months left – so I am trying to figure out what to do next.
“I’ve got my eye on the six routes of Snowdon in one day! I’ve worked it all out, I think it’s very do-able and a challenge that I could take on in 2026.”
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 £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 lifesaving care.
Heulwen has visited the Caernarfon base and says it was ‘inspiring to meet the clinicians’ and find out about the level of critical care provided to patients.
She said: “It’s incredible, they are a flying hospital! They take the emergency room wherever it’s needed and can carry out lifesaving surgery on location.”
And continued: “The service is Charity funded and needs all the help it can get to ensure that it continues to be there for people when they need it most.
“That’s why I keep on raising money, because I know it’s making a huge difference and saving lives.”
Heulwen has ‘loved’ the past six months and says her first Cardiff Half marathon was ‘brilliant.’
She said: “The atmosphere was fantastic! Our hotel was right in the city centre, so we walked straight out into the crowd and joined in with a warmup, which was such fun.
“Being part of the 30,000 crowd was incredible and to be honest – I usually walk in between but when I got into it, the speed that they are pushing you, I thought I cannot slow down, by the 8th mile I hadn’t stopped, so kept going.
“The spectators are so super, they keep cheering you on, so I wasn’t going to lose face and
slow down for a stroll.”
When Heulwen isn’t running she’s raising awareness about the work of Wales Air Ambulance and even promoted her Halloween Bingo event on S4C’s Heno.
She said: “I recorded a video with my friend Dave, which was broadcast during the programme. I love doing things like that because it lets people know what is going on in their area.
“We had a fantastic turnout at the Oakleigh Arms, I had around sixty-five tickets to sell and the morning of the event, I had half left. I must admit I was nervous.
“But everything went brilliantly! We had a full house; everyone made the effort to dress up.
It took me ages to settle on a costume, I chose a graveyard bride outfit but Owain’s nun costume, stole the show, and he won the best outfit prize.”
Fifteen games of bingo were played, and tombola sold out in five minutes. Heulwen said: “I only charged five pound a go, next time I’ll make sure to double my money because the prizes were so good, everyone wanted a go.
“We raised £963 from the bingo alone, which was more than I expected. So far, I think I’ve raised £ £2158.03, in total this year, which is all down to my amazing family, friends and colleagues, who’ve really got behind me and been so generous.”
Elaine Orr, Wales Air Ambulance, Regional Fundraising Manager for North Wales West said: “Heulwen is such an incredible supporter from baking cakes, plotting walks, training for fitness challenges to bewitching her village all in aid of our lifesaving service.
“We are so grateful for all she does to help raise funds to keep our helicopters in the sky and rapid response vehicles on the road.
“An air/ road mission costs on average around £3,545, so every pound raised really does make a huge difference.
“I am looking forward to continuing to support Heulwen and her fundraising journey in 2026.”
