Ascona Group founder and Chief Executive Darren Briggs has been recognised for his long-standing work supporting the Wales Air Ambulance Charity.
The 54-year-old entrepreneur from Pembrokeshire has become the first person to be appointed Business Ambassador for the lifesaving cause.
Wales Air Ambulance Chief Executive, Dr Sue Barnes said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Darren Briggs as the Wales Air Ambulance Charity’s first business ambassador.
“This voluntary role recognises Darren’s exceptional commitment to our lifesaving service.”
Ascona Group is one of the UK’s fastest-growing forecourt operators. They have a network of sixty-two sites across the UK, twenty of which are within Wales. The company recently announced the acquisition of three additional forecourts in Mid Wales.
Dr Barnes continued: “Ascona Group has helped fundraise an extraordinary amount of money for our Charity over the years and continues to do so.
“We are hugely grateful for the incredible platform we have been given at forecourts across Wales and to the generous customers who have donated to our lifesaving cause.
“Darren’s appointment comes at a significant time for our Charity; we will be marking our 25th anniversary in 2026. We hope to continue to draw upon his expertise in the years ahead.”
Darren, who acquired his first site in April 2011, says he is ‘totally honoured’ by the accolade.
He continued: “It is incredibly special to be the Business Ambassador for Wales Air Ambulance. It is particularly important that I can use my business skills and networking to promote the lifesaving service even more.”
Darren has a long-standing partnership with the Charity and Ascona Group has donated over £168,000 over the past three years.
He said: “I will always support the Wales Air Ambulance. It is a key service for the people of Wales and has saved thousands of lives since it first started back in 2001.
“It came to the aid of one of my longest-serving employees, who is thankfully still around.”
Reflecting on the Charity’s 25th anniversary next year, Darren said: “It’s incredible how the service has transformed over that time.
“As a businessperson, positive evolution is something I can relate to. Between 2018 and 2022, during the Covid period especially, we went from two sites to sixty-two.
“I decided to go for high growth and to generate as much money as I could to grow our portfolio.
“The Charity relies on donations each year for its survival, so I aim to use my knowledge and contacts to help access new income streams.”
Ascona Group employs almost nine hundred people across the UK. Darren said: “We are so fortunate to have a successful business and loyal customers.
“Our sites are situated across north, mid, west, and south Wales. With sites located as far north as Scotland and as far south as Hastings and Dorking.
“We aim to continue growing and expanding over the next two years and during that time we will continue to support the Charity.”
Ascona Group has teamed up with the award-winning UK fintech charity Pennies, which enables micro-donation opportunities at checkouts, helping create an enormous impact for charities in need.
Customers are given the opportunity to donate to charity when paying by card or digital wallet, which Ascona Group will match fund. It has already helped raise an incredible £68,000 in just over six months.
The company serves 300,000 customers, and dispenses 4.5 million litres of motor fuel, per week – the equivalent of eighteen tankers per day.
Darren said: “We are offering our customers the opportunity to donate 30p each time they fill up or shop and we will match fund up to £100,000.
“It costs £11.2 million every year to keep the Wales Air Ambulance helicopters and rapid response vehicles operating, and we want to do all we can to help.
“It’s also important to give back because the service is there for all those living in the communities in which we have a presence across Wales.
“We are also only a successful business because we have customers, and this is our way of saying thank you.”
Darren, who also has a pilot’s licence, has visited the Charity’s airbases on many occasions. He was presented to Wales Air Ambulance Royal Patron, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, during his visit to the Dafen site in September 2024.
He said: “It was a great honour to meet His Royal Highness. The Prince of Wales is so passionate about the work of the Charity and took time to talk with everyone.
“When you meet the clinicians and they tell you about the kind of scenarios they have been involved with, it is truly humbling.
“What they do, day-to-day, is unbelievable. It is fantastic that we have such a service available in Wales that can help those facing life or limb-threatening situations.
“That is why it is so important for Ascona Group to support the Wales Air Ambulance in the way we do.
“It’s deeply moving to know that each time we raise money, we are helping save lives.”
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 needs to raise £11.2 million 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.
