Charity

Businessman ‘honoured’ to become Wales Air Ambulance’s first business ambassador

Published

8 months ago

April 17, 2025

Darren Briggs recognised for years of support for lifesaving charity

PEMBROKESHIRE businessman Darren Briggs has been named the first-ever Business Ambassador for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity, recognising his long-standing support and commitment to the lifesaving service.

The 54-year-old entrepreneur, who founded Ascona Group, one of the UK’s fastest-growing forecourt operators, said he was “totally honoured” to take on the new role.

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 role recognises Darren’s exceptional commitment to our lifesaving service.”

Ascona Group operates sixty-two forecourts across the UK, including twenty in Wales, and recently announced the acquisition of three more in Mid Wales. The business has supported the Charity for many years, raising more than £168,000 in the past three years alone.

Dr Barnes added: “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 as we prepare to mark our 25th anniversary in 2026. We hope to continue to draw upon his expertise in the years ahead.”

Darren acquired his first forecourt site in 2011. Between 2018 and 2022—during the Covid pandemic—he expanded rapidly from two sites to sixty-two. Now employing almost nine hundred people, the Ascona Group serves around 300,000 customers a week and dispenses 4.5 million litres of fuel weekly—equivalent to eighteen tankers per day.

He said: “It is incredibly special to be the Business Ambassador for Wales Air Ambulance. It’s particularly important that I can use my business skills and network to promote the service even more.

“I will always support Wales Air Ambulance. It is a key service for the people of Wales and has saved thousands of lives since 2001. It even came to the aid of one of my longest-serving employees, who is thankfully still with us.”

Darren has also teamed up with award-winning fintech charity Pennies, enabling customers to make micro-donations at checkouts when paying by card or digital wallet. Ascona Group matches each donation, and the scheme has already raised £68,000 in just over six months.

“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,” Darren said.

“It costs £11.2 million every year to keep the Wales Air Ambulance helicopters and rapid response vehicles operating. We want to do all we can to help. It’s also important to give back because the service is there for everyone in the communities where we operate.

“We are only a successful business because of our customers, and this is our way of saying thank you.”

Ascona Group has sites across north, mid, west, and south Wales, and others as far afield as Scotland, Hastings and Dorking. Darren said the business plans to continue expanding over the next two years while maintaining strong support for the Charity.

Darren, who holds a pilot’s licence, has visited several of the Charity’s airbases and met the Wales Air Ambulance Royal Patron, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, during a visit to the Dafen site in September 2024.

“It was a great honour to meet His Royal Highness,” Darren said. “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’ve 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.”

Lifesaving work across Wales

Wales Air Ambulance is a consultant-led service, bringing hospital-standard treatment to patients at the scene and, where needed, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital. It operates through 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 helicopters and vehicles. They can administer anaesthesia, carry out blood transfusions, and perform minor surgical procedures on site.

As a pan-Wales service, the Charity’s crews travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency care where it is most urgently needed.

The Charity needs to raise £11.2 million every year to maintain its operations. Darren Briggs’s new ambassadorial role is expected to play a significant part in supporting this vital mission.

Charity

Two Welsh families fund Childline across the UK on Christmas Day

Published

1 hour ago

December 15, 2025

Staff Writer

Joint £40,000 gift ensures vital support is available when children need it most

TWO Cardiff families have joined forces to fund the NSPCC’s Childline service across the whole of the UK on Christmas Day, ensuring children have somewhere to turn during one of the toughest times of the year.

The Peterson family and the Bowles family are each donating £20,000 as part of the charity’s One Unforgettable Day project. Their combined £40,000 contribution will cover the entire cost of running Childline for 24 hours on 25 December.

Childline operates 12 bases nationwide and offers a free, confidential service to anyone under 19, available day and night, 365 days a year. The festive period is often one of the most demanding for counsellors and volunteers; between 24 December 2024 and 4 January 2025, Childline delivered 4,261 counselling sessions.

Young people reach out to Childline for a range of reasons at Christmas, including mental health struggles, family tensions, financial worries, loneliness, and increased risks of abuse or domestic violence. With schools closed and regular support networks unavailable, demand for help typically rises.

Childline relies heavily on donations, fundraising and charitable partnerships. The support of Alan, Maggie and Hywel Peterson, and Nathan and Claire Bowles and their four children, will ensure counsellors are available throughout Christmas Day for any young person who needs them.

Hywel Peterson MBE, Chair of the NSPCC Cymru Fundraising Board, said:
“It’s an honour to help fund Childline across the whole of the UK this Christmas. This joint donation will ensure our dedicated staff and volunteers are there to support any child who needs us.”

Cardiff entrepreneur Nathan Bowles added:
“We know that Christmas can be a difficult time for some children, so our family is delighted to be joining forces with the Petersons this year to support this vital service.”

Louise Israel, Childline team manager at NSPCC Cymru’s Cardiff base, said:
“While children and young people need Childline all year round, we speak to many who find this time of year particularly difficult. It is only with the support of such generous people as the Peterson and Bowles families that our staff and volunteers can continue to be here throughout the Christmas holidays. This kindness will genuinely make a difference.”

Children can call Childline free on 0800 11 11 or visit www.childline.org.uk.
Anyone concerned about a child’s welfare can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit www.nspcc.org.uk for advice.

Charity

Motorcycle fundraisers transform children’s play area at Glangwili Hospital

Published

3 days ago

December 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Long-running 3 Amigos and Dollies group marks 25 years of support

THANKS to outstanding fundraising by the Pembrokeshire-based 3 Amigos and Dollies Motorcycle Group, Hywel Dda Health Charities has funded a major improvement of the outdoor play area at Cilgerran children’s ward in Glangwili Hospital — a project costing more than £15,000.

The 3 Amigos and Dollies have supported Hywel Dda University Health Board’s children’s services for twenty-five years, with their Easter and Christmas toy runs becoming landmark dates in the local calendar, drawing hundreds of bikers and supporters from across west Wales.

The latest funding has delivered a full transformation of the ward’s outdoor space, including a re-sprayed graffiti wall, new toys and play equipment, a summer house, improved storage, and a moveable ramp to make the area more accessible for young patients. Members of the group even volunteered to help paint and refresh the space themselves.

Paula Goode, Service Director for Planned and Specialist Care, said: **“We are so grateful to the 3 Amigos and Dollies Motorcycle Group for their amazing support. Not only have they raised an incredible amount for the ward, but they have given their time to help make the outdoor space as special as possible.

“Outdoor play greatly reduces stress and anxiety for children, and it provides a vital opportunity to meet other young people going through similar experiences. It benefits both their physical and mental wellbeing, so we couldn’t be happier with the transformation.”

Tobi Evans, a volunteer with the fundraising group, said: “Because of the generosity of everyone who donates, we are able to give thousands each year. We are always humbled by how much people give, and it’s thanks to them that we’ve reached our 25th year.”

Katie Hancock, Fundraising Officer for Hywel Dda Health Charities, added: “We can’t thank the 3 Amigos and Dollies enough for their support for Cilgerran ward. You have put a smile on so many faces. Diolch yn fawr!”

Hywel Dda Health Charities funds items, equipment and activities that go beyond core NHS funding, making a meaningful difference to children and families across mid and west Wales.

Charity

Haverfordwest businesswomen launch 2026 charity calendar.

Published

3 days ago

December 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Bold fundraiser aims to boost breast cancer support and celebrate local female entrepreneurs

HAVERFORDWEST Business Women have launched their 2026 charity calendar, with 100% of profits from every sale being donated to breast cancer charities.

The calendar, revealed this week, features a striking and humorous design promoting body positivity while celebrating the women who run and shape businesses across the town. Organisers say the project has a two-fold purpose: to raise vital funds for breast cancer research and to highlight the diverse and growing range of female-led enterprises operating in Haverfordwest.

Each purchase will help fund life-saving research and provide essential support to those affected by breast cancer — a cause many within the group say is deeply personal to them.

A spokesperson for Haverfordwest Business Women said: “A huge thank you to all the fantastic ladies brave enough to ‘bare all’ for such an important charity. This project shows the strength, humour and solidarity of the incredible women involved.”

Calendars are available now from Victoria Book Shop and other local stockists in Haverfordwest, with all profits going directly to breast cancer charities.