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.