Ashmole & Co launch Wales Air Ambulance charity appeal at next week’s Cardiff Half Marathon

Ashmole & Co, one of south Wales’ largest Accountancy firms, will launch a year of fundraising events in aid of the Wales Air Ambulance next week when a team of staff swop their calculators for trainers to take on the Cardiff Half Marathon.

With thirteen offices spread across mid and south Wales, the Partners of Ashmole & Co were in favour of supporting a charity, that, like them, helped and supported those living rurally.

Jim Cornock, Partner in Ashmole and Co’s Ammanford and Haverfordwest offices said, “Ashmole & Co is celebrating its 125^th anniversary this year and we wanted to mark the occasion by supporting a worthwhile charity. Everyone we speak to knows someone who has been helped by the Welsh Air Ambulance Service. We hope our clients and friends will help us raise as much money as possible through collections and events for this extremely worthy cause.”

With a widely-scattered population and diverse landscape, many in Wales live in isolated locations, far from a major or specialist hospital. In urban areas, traffic congestion and collisions can significantly delay treatment when in a road ambulance. For these reasons, there is a recognised need for Wales Air Ambulance’s four helicopters to be on active duty 365 days a year. The charity needs to raise £8 million every year to operate the service and it has to raise all the funds required for the day-to-day running of missions.

Running on behalf of Ashmole & Co at the Cardiff Half Marathon on 27 March are: Rob Vaughan, Partner in the Swansea office; Sam Jones, from the Llandeilo & Ammanford offices; Mandy Jones from the Haverfordwest office and her friend Delyth Mattick. Paul Craddock, husband of Laura Craddock, Partner in the Ammanford office along with Vinal Patel, Gareth Thomas, Ceirion Harries and Rhys Ibbitson from the Ammanford office.

Vinal Patel has also been given the opportunity to participate in Ironman Wales this September and will be fundraising for the Wales Air Ambulance. The Ironman Wales challenge includes a 2.4mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride and then run a marathon around Tenby in Pembrokeshire.

Vinal said, “I know it will be a massive challenge for myself to do an Ironman and I hope I’m up for the challenge. At the same time I will raise money for this great cause. Hopefully I can complete the course and be an Ironman. I have watched the Ironman in Tenby for the past few years and I take my hat off to anyone who completes the gruelling course. I’m hoping to be one of them people, and your donations will help me along the way.” 

Katie Macro, Wales Air Ambulance Campaign Manager, said, “Wales Air Ambulance is funded by the people of Wales; we rely entirely on the public’s support to help keep the helicopters flying. The charity does not receive direct funding from the government and we also fail to qualify for National Lottery funding. The money is therefore raised through charitable donations, fundraising events and membership of our in-house Lifesaving Lottery. We are grateful to Ashmole & Co for choosing to support us during the next 12 months.”

Any donations to support Ashmole & Co’s fundraising would be very gratefully received. Here is the link to the Just Giving page, or you can donate directly at any office: Vinal Patel is fundraising for Wales Air Ambulance Charitable Trust (justgiving.com)