A Merthyr landlady is supporting a team of nineteen pubs in her region to raise funds for Wales Air Ambulance.
Kimberley Roberts is manager of the King Brychan which is owned by Marston’s.
The Welsh arm of the business aims to raise £50k for the Charity as it marks its 25th anniversary.
Kimberley, who is Marston’s Wales Air Ambulance Lead for the South East Wales region said: “The service does such an incredible job every day across Wales, so it is a real honour to be able to help support the work it does.
“When I first started talking with my team about what we could do to help raise funds, many of us did not realise the intricacies of its role. It is really the emergency department attending the patient, wherever they are in Wales.
“We were really surprised when we learnt how they could perform surgery and give blood transfusions at the roadside. It has certainly inspired everyone.”
She added: “I was shocked when I learnt how much it costs to run the service and that it is funded by the people of Wales.”
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.
With 121 pubs in South Wales, the Welsh arm of Marston’s hope to raise enough funds to cover the cost of fifteen lifesaving missions. It has also rallied its pub partners to fundraise for the Charity.
Kimberley said: “We hold regular online meetings to keep across what our teams are doing across the four regions. It is incredible how everyone is pitching in; we are a competitive bunch and want to make sure we hit our £50,000 target.”
The team at King Brychan recently hiked up Pen y Fan raising £226 for Wales Air Ambulance. They are also planning to hold their annual Family Fun Day in the summer in aid of the lifesaving serving.
Kimberley said: “We are a community pub, very family friendly and hold lots of events for children.
“Over the years have raised funds for a variety of causes including a young girl who needed medical treatment in America.
“Our beer garden event this summer will once again invite local businesses to come and sell their goods.
“People produce their own candles, make books, there are sweet stalls, ice cream vans and bouncy castles – the whole community comes out.”
Patrons to Marstons pubs are also able to make donations at its sites across Wales.
Kimberley said: “We have a bucket collection on the bar. One man I served told me how he would not be here if it were not for the Wales Air Ambulance and said he would be supporting our fundraising events.
“We have also got buttons on our tills for those who do not carry cash, which makes it so much easier for people to be able to support the Charity.”
Nina Rice, Wales Air Ambulance Head of Fundraising – High Value Partnerships said: “We are so grateful to Marstons for choosing us as their Charity partner in Wales as part of the celebrations to mark our 25th anniversary!
“It is wonderful to have the opportunity to collaborate with Kimberley, the team at King Brychan and all the pubs in the South East Wales region.
“We rely on partnerships like this to enable us to continue to be there for the people of Wales, whenever and wherever they need us.
“Every pound raised makes a lifesaving difference. Diolch yn fawr!”
