Two Swans legends have been behind-the-scenes at Wales Air Ambulance to learn what an average day looks like for the lifesaving service.
It comes as the Charity teams up with Swansea City Football Club’s charitable arm, the Swansea City AFC Foundation, for a firewalk challenge.
Supporters are urged to sign up for the event, sponsored by Compass Cymru, at the Swansea.com Stadium on Thursday 19 March 2026.
Club Ambassador Lee Trundle and Women’s midfielder Sammy Wynne visited the Charity’s headquarters in Dafen recently.
Lee, who scored an impressive 78 goals during his 146 appearances for the Swans,
said: “It’s fantastic to team up with Wales Air Ambulance, during a very special time for the Charity.
“The service helps thousands of people each year, which has a ripple effect on the communities in which they live. Saving a life – it doesn’t get much bigger than that.
“As a football club, we use the power of our badge to help people by delivering impactful initiatives that help change lives. It’s all about doing the best we can for local communities.”
14,728 people took part in 4,490 Swansea City Foundation sessions during 2025. During the same period, Wales Air Ambulance attended 3,665 life and limb-threatening emergencies across Wales.
Sammy grew up in Swansea and was part of the club’s academy programme until she was 13, and joined the Swans Women team in 2023. She said: “Our foundation thrives through collaboration.
“Our partnership with Wales Air Ambulance is meaningful because we both have a common goal, which is to help people.
“As Charitable organisations, we rely on our loyal supporters, who are so generous and, through their fundraising, enable us to continue to do what we do.
“We really hope our fans will come out in force to support this unique event and help us raise lots of money, which will benefit many local communities and save lives.”
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 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.
Swans icon Lee added: “Anything could happen at any time, anywhere in Wales. Being at the base, getting to see things up close, we’ve seen firsthand how the service is ready to go as soon as a call comes in.
“When we arrived, we were looking forward to seeing the helicopter and meeting the crew, but they had just been called out on a mission. A real-life emergency was unfolding; it made us realise the importance of the work being done every day in Wales.
“It was also reassuring to know that whoever was being helped was in the best hands.”
During Lee and Sammy’s base visit, they got to sit inside a rapid response vehicle, which is used by clinical teams when attending patients in more urban areas.
They also carried a clinical backpack, which weighs around 27 kilograms, and a Lucas machine, which assists with chest compressions.
Sammy said: “There is such high-tech kit onboard! You really cannot believe the weight of their rucksacks until you try to lift them.
“We were told that the crew sometimes have to walk one or two miles from the drop-off point to the patient. They must be so fit to be able to do their job; it requires such dedication.”
Over 56,000 missions have been carried out by Wales Air Ambulance since the first flight took off from Fairwood Airport in Swansea on the 1st of March 2001.
Lee, who received an honorary doctorate from Swansea University in 2024 for his contribution to the city, said: “It’s been great to meet and chat with everyone involved, to listen to past patient stories, what they have been through and the work that is being done to keep driving the service forward.
“On behalf of Swansea City Football Club and the Foundation, we wish Wales Air Ambulance a very happy 25th anniversary!”
Christian Sullivan, Wales Air Ambulance Regional Fundraising Manager, said: “We are so grateful to Lee and Sammy for taking the time to visit the Charity’s headquarters in Dafen.
“It’s wonderful to have their support as we prepare to kick off our 25th anniversary celebrations.
“It’s exciting that our firewalk challenge is being hosted at the home of Swansea City Football Club and will benefit both our lifesaving service and the Swans Foundation.
“Every pound raised on the night will help save lives and support people through programmes in education, health and wellbeing, youth engagement and inclusion.
“We hope this is the start of a long-term partnership, where we collaborate and support one another for many years to come.”
