A successful carol concert, which saw hundreds of people attend from across Pontarddulais and beyond, has raised £1,775 for the Wales Air Ambulance.
The annual festive gathering at Hope-Siloh Chapel was organised by Côr Glandulais.
Every year Côr Glandulais arrange a festive concert, with money raised going to local charities and organisations which benefit the people of Wales.
The choir was established in the late 1950s and presently has forty members who are between sixty and eighty years of age.
Last year the concert raised £1,500 for the all-Wales lifesaving service.
Côr Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Bryniago, Côr Ysgol Gynradd Pontarddulais, Côr Ysgol Gyfn Pontarddulais, Lleisiau Lliw, Band Tref Pontarddulais and Côr Meibion Pontarddulais were among the participants.
Côr Glandulais Secretary Helen Matthews said as well as raising funds for the Charity she hoped the concert would ‘raise awareness about the work of the Wales Air Ambulance’.
She said: “The concert was a perfect opportunity for everyone to give thanks to the Wales Air Ambulance.
“Most people living in Wales will have seen it in the sky at some point or may know someone who has needed this incredible lifesaving service.
“We wanted to show our appreciation, by helping to fundraise as it relies on charitable donations to continue to do, what it does.”
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.
Christian Sullivan, the Charity’s Regional Fundraising Manager who attended the concert was delighted to be in the audience.
He said: “The carol concert was a wonderful success, like always, and we are grateful that it raised £1,775. I was delighted to be in the audience listening to all the talented choirs. It was a fabulous evening and the church was full. All the choirs preformed beautifully.
“It takes an incredible amount of work to bring together so many people for such a special evening, and we are very grateful that we were the chosen beneficiary of this popular fundraiser.
“It costs £13 million to keep our helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road, so every pound that was raised will help continue to save lives across the country.
“Thank you to everyone who took part, organised the concert or attended the concert. You have all helped play a part in saving lives across Wales, which is incredible.”
