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.

ONLY TWO LETTERS SENT – NEITHER FROM THE FIRST MINISTER

A FREEDOM of Information request by the Welsh Conservatives has revealed that the First Minister has not corresponded with the UK Government regarding the recent cut to the Winter Fuel Payment—despite widespread concern over its impact on pensioners in Wales.

The request, which asked for all correspondence from the First Minister, Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers to the UK Government concerning the Welsh implications of the cut, revealed just two letters had been sent. Neither letter came from the First Minister.

One letter, dated 9 August 2024, was from Jane Hutt, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice. While it acknowledged the potential impact of the cut and estimated that up to 45% of Welsh households may have fallen into fuel poverty after the 2022 energy price surge, it stopped short of directly opposing the UK Government’s decision. Instead, Hutt reiterated the Welsh Government’s call for the introduction of a social energy tariff and highlighted ongoing hardship in Wales​.

The second letter was from Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall, who defended the removal of the universal Winter Fuel Payment on the grounds of fiscal responsibility. In her reply to Jane Hutt, dated 18 September 2024, Kendall emphasised the need to focus support on those “in the greatest need” and criticised the low uptake of Pension Credit among eligible pensioners​.

The revelation that the First Minister has not personally written to the UK Government on the matter has sparked sharp criticism from the Welsh Conservatives.

Commenting, Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar MS said: “The First Minister’s failure to stand up for Welsh pensioners and oppose Keir Starmer’s cut to winter fuel is nothing short of a dereliction of duty.

“It is clear that for Labour at both ends of the M4, older people—who have paid into a system their entire lives—are just an afterthought.

“The Welsh Conservatives will protect our pensioners by rolling back increased spending on Labour’s bureaucracy budget to introduce a new Welsh Winter Fuel Allowance, so that pensioners won’t have to choose between heating and eating.”

The FOI response has raised wider questions about the Welsh Government’s influence over UK-wide policy decisions that have significant effects in devolved areas such as public health and poverty.

The Herald understands that while the Welsh Government has advocated for energy fairness and introduced support schemes within its limited powers, no official protest or direct appeal from the First Minister’s office was made over the withdrawal of universal Winter Fuel Payments.

A CHOIR of young South African singers is returning to Wales as part of its latest UK tour, with performances and busking dates confirmed in St Davids and Cardiff.

The Project Zulu Choir, made up of 20 children aged 11 to 14 from two township schools in KwaZulu-Natal, will arrive in the UK on May 17. Over the following three weeks, they will showcase their vibrant traditional Zulu songs and dances at venues across the South West.

Their Pembrokeshire stop includes a visit to St Davids, where they will be hosted by Celtic Camping. The choir will busk in the city centre on Sunday, May 26, followed by a full concert at Celtic Camping on Monday, May 27. They will then travel to Cardiff for a final day of busking on Tuesday, May 28.

Ian Griffiths, owner of Celtic Camping, said: “It has been an immense privilege over the years to host and foster a wonderful relationship with the Project Zulu Choir. The venue here will provide a fantastic setting for them to perform, and a memorable experience for everyone to enjoy.”

Every pound raised during the tour will go directly towards improving educational facilities at the choir members’ schools back home in South Africa.

Last year’s tour raised a record-breaking £32,000, and organisers are hoping to surpass that figure in 2024.

Dr Benjamin Knight, director of Project Zulu, said: “The choir will bring boundless energy and charisma during their tour, projecting their incredible sound and thrilling audiences. Every ticket bought and every donation made will directly impact young people’s futures.”