Calfyn Jones, 24, from Dihewyd, Aberaeron, organised a classic car and tractor convoy event followed by a charity auction, with the help of his girlfriend Erin Thomas and their families.
The event raised funds for the Wales Air Ambulance and the High Dependency Neuroscience Ward at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. The two organisations delivered lifesaving care to Calfyn when he suffered a traumatic brain injury, following a road accident on 6 February 2022.
Two air ambulances came to Calfyn’s aid, and he was airlifted to hospital in Cardiff where he spent the next 17 days recovering.
The event was held at Dihewyd Village Hall and the local community rallied around to provide donations for the auction. There were also food stalls and entertainment available, making it a fun family day out.
Calfyn, who works as an agricultural contractor and steel fabricator, has had an interest in classic cars and tractor events for years and knew it would be a good way to raise money.
He said: “When I was recovering from my accident, I decided I wanted to put on an event and do something to help the Wales Air Ambulance. I have taken part in tractor runs before and it is something I enjoy, and we also extended it to classic cars. I couldn’t believe the positive response; everyone came together to help out.
“We had 45 tractors and about 60 cars and had volunteers from the community watching the roads and helping traffic flow. I don’t think our small village has seen anything like it before!
“It was the first event I have ever organised, and everybody was so kind in giving up their time and donating auction prizes, from hampers, restaurant vouchers, MOT’s, cakes and so on. There was something for everyone.”
