Margaret’s £1,000 donation

Self-taught artist donates an extra £1,000 to Wales Air Ambulance in memory of son

An amateur self-taught artist has continued to use her talent to raise money for the Wales Air Ambulance in memory of her son.

Margaret Worrell decided to raise funds for the Wales Air Ambulance in memory of her son Ian, who tragically lost his life in a road traffic collision in 2007. Ian left behind his wife and two young sons.

The grandmother, from Aberystwyth, has painted roughly 40 painting cards from her original work for the Wales Air Ambulance.

Margaret and her husband Jim recently presented the Wales Air Ambulance medics and pilot, at the Welshpool airbase, with a cheque of £1,000 and a birthday card, to celebrate the Charity’s 21^st anniversary, which was made up from images of her paintings.

Margaret first started painting before her retirement from nursing and has raised in total, since her fundraising started for the Charity, an incredible £7,050 for the 24/7 lifesaving service.

Margaret and her Jim have been big supporters of the Wales Air Ambulance. Due to covid restrictions they both had to wait a long time before having the opportunity to meet the medics and crew at the Welshpool base.

Margaret is also using her talent to create a painting to be place on the wall in the Charity’s fundraiser office. 
Margaret is grateful for the support she has received from local people during her fundraiser, where she sold her paintings all over Wales.

Speaking of the importance of the Wales Air Ambulance Charity she said: “I feel the service Wales Air Ambulance give is vital especially in rural Wales as none of us know when we might need the service.”

The Wales Air Ambulance celebrated its 21st anniversary on St David’s Day. Now operational 24/7, the Charity needs to raise £8 million every year to keep the helicopters flying.

Wales Air Ambulance offers advanced critical care and is often described as a ‘Flying ED’. The on-board consultants and critical care practitioners are highly skilled and carry some of the most pioneering medical equipment in the world. They can deliver blood transfusions, administer anaesthesia, and undertake emergency operations at the scene of the incident, before flying the patient directly to specialist care.

Dougie Bancroft, Wales Air Ambulance’s Community Fundraiser said: “Thank you to Margaret for continuing to raise funds for our charity. Despite her family’s loss Margaret is thinking of other people that the Charity may need to help. Margaret’s paintings are beautiful, and the cards are fantastic. She presented a wonderful card to our crew during the base visit at Welshpool Airport, which they loved. 

“A huge thank you to Margaret, her family and everyone who had supported her in her fundraising. You’re all helping us be there for the people of Wales when they need us the most. In total she has raised an incredible £7,050 for the Wales Air Ambulance. Diolch yn fawr.”