A school’s non-uniform day has raised hundreds for Wales’ lifesaving charity.
Pupils from St Michael’s School, in Llanelli, swapped their smart uniform for their own clothes to support the Wales Air Ambulance and raised £832.
St Michael’s School is no stranger to raising funds for good causes. The children ‘very much enjoy taking part in non-uniform days’ and throughout the year they have also raised funds for BBC Children in Need, Comic Relief and Save The Children.
Reflecting on why they wanted to support the Wales Air Ambulance, Head Teacher Mr Benson Ferrari said: “We decided to fundraise for the Wales Air Ambulance because it is a charity which does so much good work in both the local area and across Wales.
“You never know when you may need to use the services of the air ambulance and being that our school is situated just a short distance from the Dafen headquarters, we felt that we wanted to show our support and help raise money in any way that we could.
“We are very pleased with the amount of money that the school has raised so far for the Wales Air Ambulance. Our most recent donation was raised by pupils coming to school in non-uniform, but in previous years we have also collected money through our annual International Cultural Day.
“This is a special day in the school calendar which sees pupils celebrate their culture and heritage by wearing traditional dress and bringing in culinary delights from their home countries.”
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 £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 lifesaving care.
The school’s link with the Charity goes back many years. Most recently St Michael’s School was ‘very pleased to be a part of the Wales Air Ambulance Castles in The Sky project’.
The senior school pupils were also visited by some of the Wales Air Ambulance medics, who put on a ‘fantastic presentation’ about pursuing a career with the Wales Air Ambulance.
The staff at St Michael’s School have also fundraised for the Wales Air Ambulance. The team participated in the Great Welsh Marathon, where they raised a fantastic £1,580.
Mike May, South West Wales Regional Fundraising Manager for Wales Air Ambulance said: “What a lovely way for the children to raise funds for charity. It was lovely to meet the pupils and staff during the cheque presentation. The support from the school as a whole has been outstanding. Some members of staff also took part in their own fundraiser, which raised an amazing amount for us. You’ve all played an important part in saving lives across Wales.
“Every year the Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £11.2 million to keep its helicopters in the air and its rapid response vehicles on the road. Thank you for helping us to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most.”
