Pembrokeshire-headquartered company’s logo unveiled on charity helicopter as it works towards £1 million target

A PEMBROKESHIRE business has been honoured for its longstanding support of Wales Air Ambulance after its logo was unveiled on the tail of one of the charity’s helicopters.

Ascona Group, an independent forecourt and roadside retail operator, has pledged to raise £1 million for the lifesaving charity and has already generated approximately £450,000.

The amount raised is enough to help fund the equivalent of more than 110 Wales Air Ambulance missions.

The helicopter branding has been introduced in recognition of the company’s continuing fundraising partnership with the charity and its support for communities across Wales.

Ascona Group founder and chief executive Darren Briggs became Wales Air Ambulance’s first business ambassador in 2025 and has played a leading role in developing the partnership.

A significant proportion of the money has been raised through the company’s work with fintech organisation Pennies.

Customers are given the opportunity to donate 30p when paying by card or digital wallet. At Ascona’s Welsh sites, each customer donation is matched by the company.

The initiative has so far raised more than £300,000.

The partnership also has personal significance for Mr Briggs after Wales Air Ambulance attended a serious incident involving one of Ascona Group’s longest-serving employees.

Mr Briggs is also a qualified helicopter pilot and said he had great respect for the skill and professionalism of the charity’s flight crews.

He said: “Seeing the Ascona Group logo on the tail of one of the Wales Air Ambulance helicopters is an incredibly proud moment for everyone connected with our business.

“This has never simply been about fundraising. It is about supporting a service that saves lives every single day.

“I have always believed that commercial success should create opportunities to make a lasting difference in the communities we serve.

“That philosophy has shaped Ascona Group from the very beginning, and I am incredibly proud that our colleagues, customers and business partners have embraced it so wholeheartedly.

“When we pledged to raise £1 million, we wanted to build a genuine relationship with the charity rather than simply write a cheque.

“To have our logo carried on one of the helicopters is a tremendous honour.

“As a helicopter pilot myself, I have always had enormous respect for the crews who fly these missions in incredibly challenging circumstances.

“Every time that helicopter takes off, its crew is giving someone the very best chance of survival, and we are proud to play a small part in helping make that possible.”

Wales Air Ambulance says it must raise £13 million each year to keep its helicopters flying and its rapid-response vehicles on the road.

The average cost of attending a mission by air or road is approximately £3,545.

The charity attended 3,365 missions during 2025 and has completed more than 57,400 missions since its first flight on St David’s Day in March 2001.

Phae Jones, director of income generation at Wales Air Ambulance, said the decision to display Ascona Group’s logo recognised the company’s “enduring support” for the charity.

She said: “We do not place a company’s logo on one of our helicopters lightly.

“It is a visible symbol which recognises Ascona Group’s enduring support for our lifesaving work across Wales.

“Since Darren became our first business ambassador, both he and the wider Ascona team have gone above and beyond.

“From pledging to raise £1 million and becoming headline sponsor of our 25th anniversary gala dinner, to inspiring colleagues, customers and business partners to support the charity, their contribution has been truly exceptional.

“Our crews come to the aid of countless people across Wales every day, and we simply could not deliver our lifesaving service without businesses and individuals like Darren and Ascona Group.”

The company’s fundraising will continue in November when Mr Briggs joins other supporters on a 100-kilometre trek across the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

He hopes the challenge will raise a further £5,000 towards the company’s £1 million target.

Ascona Group was founded in Pembrokeshire in 2011 and has grown from a single service station into a business operating 70 roadside sites across England, Wales and Scotland.

The company employs around 910 people and says its sites serve more than 350,000 customers each week.

Children in Mold can receive free meals throughout the summer holidays, while thousands of school uniform items are being distributed through centres in Swansea and Cardiff

THE SALVATION ARMY is helping families across Wales cope with the additional cost of the school summer holidays by providing free meals for children and free school uniforms ahead of the new academic year.

Its church and community centre in Mold is opening from 9.30am until 3pm, Tuesday to Saturday, throughout the Welsh school holidays.

Free meals are available to all children aged under 16, with no requirement for accompanying adults to purchase anything.

Major Michelle Hayter said the scheme had made a significant difference to families in the area over recent years.

She said: “If your children usually receive free school meals, suddenly having to provide lunch, snacks and activities every day can be costly.

“By offering free meals, we are helping families free up money so they can enjoy the fun things their children want to do.

“When we remind parents that the meals are free, you can see the smile on their faces.”

The Mold centre is also holding recycling-themed craft sessions on selected days, including activities such as making mosaic coasters, decorating jars and creating bird feeders.

The charity is also supporting parents who may already be concerned about the cost of buying school uniforms for September.

Salvation Army charity shops and donation centres across Wales are offering free school uniform items, subject to availability.

Donation centres in Gorseinon, Swansea, and Cardiff have already distributed more than 3,000 items donated by Bridgend-based school uniform supplier Euroschools Direct.

Craig Mawer, manager at Euroschools Direct, said the company wanted its unused stock to benefit families rather than go to waste.

He said: “We are really pleased the uniforms have been able to support The Salvation Army’s work.

“When we realised we had unused stock, we wanted it to make a genuine difference rather than end up as waste.

“The Salvation Army felt like the right choice because of its strong community presence and the support it offers to parents facing financial pressure.”

Families seeking help are advised to contact their nearest Salvation Army church, community centre, charity shop or donation centre to find out what support is available locally.

A CHARITY established in memory of 11-year-old Zac Thompson is helping almost 2,000 Pembrokeshire schoolchildren learn potentially life-saving skills in and around the water.

Forever 11 was founded following Zac’s death in 2022, when he was swept into the sea.

The charity began delivering water safety programmes in 2023, initially working with one school. It now supports pupils at 13 primary schools across Pembrokeshire, with around 2,000 children expected to take part in its sessions this year.

Forever 11 chair Carli Newell said the charity believes water safety should be treated as an essential life skill for children growing up in a coastal county.

She said: “Every child in Pembrokeshire deserves the right to have water safety sessions.

“Especially where we live, it should be as important as being able to read.”

Working alongside organisations including PaddleWest, Activity Pembrokeshire and Windswept Wales, the charity provides practical kayaking, paddleboarding and sea kayaking sessions.

Pupils are also taught important safety advice, including the RNLI’s Float to Live guidance, while some children have the opportunity to gain nationally recognised Paddle Safe and Swim Safe qualifications.

The programme was originally aimed at pupils in Years 5 and 6, but it has since been extended to children in Years 3 and 4.

The charity hopes that introducing younger pupils to the water will help them build confidence and develop essential skills before reaching the age group most at risk of accidental drowning.

Forever 11 trustee Lucy Garett said national drowning figures are reviewed each year to help shape the programme.

She said: “The trends are all the same every year.

“It’s mostly children aged between 10 and 19 who are at risk of accidental drowning.

“We want children to have at least one or two sessions in the water before they reach that higher risk group.”

The sessions are offered to schools free of charge, with the costs covered through fundraising and public donations.

This means children can participate regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.

Forever 11 estimates that it has delivered more than 10,000 hours of water safety education since its work began.

Ms Garett said the response from schools, parents and pupils had been extremely positive.

She added: “Some parents have told us their child had been completely scared of going in the water, but afterwards they said it was one of the best days they’d ever had at school.”

The charity now hopes to work with more watersports providers, allowing the scheme to reach additional schools throughout Pembrokeshire.

Its long-term ambition is for every primary school pupil in the county to finish school with the knowledge and confidence needed to stay safe around the water.

The charity said: “We want every primary-aged child to know what to do to keep themselves and others safe in and around the water.”

Forever 11 will continue raising awareness and funds at Pembroke Regatta on Saturday, July 25, followed by its annual Forever 11 Fun Day on Sunday, July 26.