PEMBROKESHIRE-BASED Ascona Group has donated £25,000 to cancer support network Maggie’s. The contribution was made through Nisa’s Make a Difference Locally scheme in which the symbol group gives its retail partners a portion of the sale of certain items they sell to a charity of the retailer’s choice.

Ascona Group, the seventh largest UK forecourt operator, says that the contribution is part of its ongoing commitment to social responsibility and its efforts to support health and wellbeing within the communities in which it operates.

Ascona Group’s retail trading director Paul Stoddart says: “We are delighted to be able to support Maggie’s cancer care centres through the Nisa Make a Difference Locally scheme. At Ascona, we believe that we have a responsibility to give back to the communities in which we operate in, and our partnership with Nisa allows us to do exactly that.”

Maggie’s centre fundraising manager Lucia Osmond adds: “We are incredibly grateful for Ascona Group’s generous donation. Every penny donated to Maggie’s helps us provide free, practical, and emotional support to people with cancer, as well as their families.

“This donation will have a direct impact on the lives of many, allowing us to continue offering expert guidance, a welcoming environment, and much-needed emotional relief during one of life’s toughest challenges. We are grateful for Ascona’s support as it will help us make a real difference to those who need it most.”

Ascona says that it has donated over £350,000 to local, national and community organisations since 2017.

TO celebrate his 30^th anniversary of working for Ashmole & Co, Jim Cornock a Partner with the accountancy firm, will be taking on Marathon Eryri later this month to help raise funds for Tenovus Cancer Care.

Marathon Eryri is a demanding and spectacular event which encircles Yr Wyddfa. Jim is not a newcomer to running but is more familiar with half marathon distance rather than a full marathon. He has bravely agreed to take on the 26.2mile challenge on 26 October to help raise funds for Ashmole & Co’s chosen charity for this year as it has special meaning for him personally.

Jim said, “Tenovus Cancer Care provide so much support for people with cancer. This one is personal for me as my mum passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of just 61. I have no doubt there were times when she wanted to just ‘turn around’ and go home but like thousands of others facing a cancer diagnosis, she couldn’t. That is what keeps me going during my training runs. I felt like turning back lots of times recently out on my longest runs, but I kept remembering why I am doing this.”

Jim joined Ashmole & Co in 1994 and qualified as a Chartered Tax Advisor in 1999. Originally from Milford Haven, he moved to Carmarthen in 2003 and became a partner in the Ammanford office in 2004. He works out of the Haverfordwest, Ammanford, Llandeilo and Llandovery Ashmole & Co offices. Jim enjoys all aspects of his role as business adviser, particularly the satisfaction of helping clients achieve their goals.  

Jim is married to Pamela and they have two children Rosie and Owen. He has a particular love of Llandovery as his parents are originally from the town and are buried there. In his spare time, he loves cycling, swimming, running, football, reading and history. Jim is proud to have completed Ironman Wales in 2018.

Jim added, “Thank you to everyone that has supported me during my training. It means a lot. I hope Ashmole & Co’s clients and friends will help us raise as much money as possible for this extremely worthy cause.”

Elin Murphy, Tenovus Cancer Care’s Regional Fundraising Manager for south west Wales, said, “Ashmole & Co are going all out to raise funds with staff signing up to do so many events out of their comfort zone. We are very grateful to Jim for choosing to help raise funds for Tenovus Cancer Care by taking part in Marathon Eryri. Donations mean that we can continue to support cancer patients and their loved ones with our services and actively campaign to improve outcomes and give a voice to all affected by cancer in Wales.”

Tenovus Cancer Care are a Wales-based charity which gives help, hope and a voice to everyone affected by cancer. Tenovus is there for anyone affected by cancer. Together with its inspiring community of supporters, volunteers and fundraisers, the charity is determined to be there for everyone affected today, tomorrow and beyond.

Any donations to support Jim and Ashmole & Co’s fundraising would be gratefully received. Here is the link to the Just Giving page, or you can donate at any office: Ashmole and co is fundraising for Tenovus Cancer Care (justgiving.com)

CHARITIES in Wales are receiving support from dairy cooperative Arla to help those in need increase their intake of dairy.

As part of a nationwide initiative to ensure fresh dairy provision in charities, local schemes including Sirhowy Community Centre, Canolfan y Bont Food Bank and Cwtch Angels Abergavenny will benefit from the donation of fully-stocked-and-sponsored fridges from Arla.

This comes after insights from the charity FareShare estimated 450,000 people who rely on its schemes do not have access to fresh dairy, with many forced to decline donations due to a lack of storage facilities.

In a recent survey of its charity partners, almost all (96%) said fresh dairy was in high demand and that they weren’t able to store enough on site to meet the needs of users, while all agreed that not having enough fridge space prevented them from always offering the most nutritious products to the people they support.

To mark the start of this initiative and raise awareness of this issue, Arla has also launched the world’s first free milk ATM machine in London. The innovative milk dispensing machine appeared in North London earlier this week and allowed people to receive fresh milk at the push of a button.

Jonathan Dixon, Senior Vice President at Arla said: “We are on a mission to enhance the accessibility of nutritious dairy products for communities across the UK. Too many charities have to turn away fresh dairy donations because they have nowhere to store it, but by working with FareShare we hope to overcome that.”

Ben Ashmore, Head of External Affairs at FareShare, said: “Our charities report that the demand for nutritious dairy products in Wales is increasing, but many lack the infrastructure to store refrigerated items safely. Thanks to Arla’s generous commitment to donating fridges to charities across the UK, many of these organisations can now offer a more varied range of nutritious food.

“This donation helps strengthen the capacity of our charity network, enabling them to support their communities better. We are incredibly grateful to Arla for their ongoing support in helping us turn surplus food into a force for good, reducing waste, and creating healthier, more resilient communities.”

Research from Arla found that across the UK, half of Brits couldn’t imagine not having access to milk on a daily basis, with 76 per cent consuming it at least a few times a week.

More than a third (35 per cent) admitted they’d struggle if they didn’t have access to milk, with 53 per cent of the opinion that everyone should be able to easily get dairy based foods.

However, 62 per cent weren’t aware that not all food banks have fridges and therefore can’t store fresh dairy products.

Nichola Ludlam-Raine, Specialist Dietitian, told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “As a registered dietitian, I strongly support initiatives like this that provide increased access to dairy products.

“A 200ml glass of milk provides protein, as well as the minerals calcium and iodine too, so regular consumption can help ensure we meet our daily needs for these particular nutrients.

“Having access to fresh milk can also encourage healthier eating habits, such as making time for breakfast. A nutritious breakfast might include wholegrain cereal, milk, and fruit, providing a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fibre to start the day well.”

Arla has been a dedicated and longstanding charity partner with FareShare for over eight years, continuing to support the valuable work they do across the country. During this time, the equivalent of more than 10 million meals have been diverted to help feed and support those in need across the UK.