A well-loved ‘dragon’ raffle was a roaring success after raising £1,729 for the Wales Air ambulance.
The crocheted dragon, named Ffleur, had been popular with local children since Rosemary Stow put it on display in her craft shop window, Quillies.
Since 2022, many people asked if they could purchase the dragon and now it has a new owner. Due to the fact it took Vicki Gregory, from Aberedw, 80 hours to make the beautiful design, at the time Rosemary said she ‘couldn’t put a value on it’ and couldn’t bring herself to part with it.
Rosemary said: “The dragon had lots of attention. People kept wanting to buy it and so far, I’ve refused. It is well loved by locals and visitors alike, but I felt it was time for it to find a new home – hence the raffle.”
The raffle took place at the largest award-winning Wool Natural Fibre Festival in Wales and the UK, Wonderwool Wales.
The lucky winner of the first prize dragon was Lesley Bishop, from Abertillery.
Rosemary said: “We managed to raise £1,729 for the Wales Air Ambulance. The winner, Lesley, was absolutely thrilled to have won it, especially as it was her birthday the day after the draw.
“My shop window is quite bare at the moment, but I have put in a photo of Lesley holding the dragon with a limerick underneath.”
Reflecting on why she wanted to raise funds for the Wales Air Ambulance, Rosemary said: “I decided that it would be appropriate to hold the raffle at Wonderwool Wales because the Wales Air Ambulance is the chosen charity of Wonderwool, and they were happy to agree to the idea.”
The beautiful Quillies shop, has a variety of textiles, art, jewellery, photographs, prints and ceramics from a host of talented makers but Rosemary felt she wanted a centrepiece for the shop window. That’s when Vicki came up with the idea of bringing Fleur to the Rhayader shop and the dragon was introduced to the customers and locals.
Rosemary stated that she had no idea that the centrepiece would become so popular. She added: “I wanted something to grab people’s attention and visitors love it. Local children love it and it’s always a talking point. They make ‘rawr’ sounds every time they pass the shop.”
In the raffle a Wales Air Ambulance propeller quilt was the second prize, which was won by Doreen Parker, from Swansea. The quilt was made by Gwenda Taylor, from Gwynedd, in memory of her special cousin Delwyn Williams.
The third and fourth prizes were of small, crocheted dragons, as well as craft prizes. One of the baby dragons was won by a lady from Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow.
Kate Thomas, Regional Fundraising Manager for mid Wales said: “Wow, Ffleur the dragon raised an incredible amount for our all-Wales Charity – over £1,700 was raised for our Welsh flying dragons. It just goes to show how much people appreciated Vicki’s hard work and hours of committed she put into making the dragon.
“Thank you to Rosemary and everyone who made beautiful raffle prizes, we appreciate all your efforts. Thank you also to everyone who purchased a raffle ticket. You have all played a part in saving lives across Wales. Wonderwool Wales has been a great supporter of ours and we’re delighted that the dragon and quilt was raffled at the event.
“The Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £11.2 million every year to keep its helicopters in the air and its rapid response vehicles on the road. Fundraisers, like this one, will help us to reach that yearly target, thank you so much.”
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 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.
