TWO HOOTS Tea Room at Devils Bridge raised an incredible £1,400 during a successful coffee, cake and cawl morning just weeks before it closed its doors.
Alun and Shan Jenkins supported the Wales Air Ambulance by raising much-needed ‘dough’ as part of its ‘Coffee and Cake’ fundraising campaign. Two Hoots Tea Room held the enjoyable coffee, cake and cawl morning on the Charity’s 24th birthday on St David’s Day.
Guests were treated to a variety of beautiful cakes and delicious cawl, which were enjoyed by them all. Wales Air Ambulance’s much-loved ‘Coffee and Cake’ fundraiser had been ongoing through the month of March with events taking place across the country.
The Charity ‘kneaded’ the public’s support and Alun and Shan were happy to hold their own event.
The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
Owners Alun and Shan have been great supporters of the all-Wales lifesaving Charity. To date they’ve raised a wonderful £5,800 for the Charity since 2018.
Sadly, the tea rooms closed its doors on 31 March, after 34 successful years. However, the support of the Charity will continue in the family.
Their granddaughters, Beca, 22 and Mali, 19, who are now taking over the Halfway Inn, Pisgah, have pledged to continue to raise much-needed funds for the Wales Air Ambulance at the new location.
Shan said: “We combined the event with the sad closure of our lovely business Two Hoots Tea Room. We had an amazing turnout of customers and friends who had supported us for 34 years.
It was a bittersweet day to say the least, knowing how much they appreciated us over the years.”
Shan and Alun were delighted that two of their regular biker customers travelled miles to show their support. One came from Sheffield for coffee and one from Bristol.
Shan said: “We were really overwhelmed with the amount of money raised on top of the £2,700 that was raised over 3 years ago by the musicians, which is a group who turned up every other Sunday to entertain visitors on the railway and the café.”
The Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.
It is delivered via 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 vehicles.
This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.
As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.
The Jenkins family, Alun, Shan, Beca, Mali, Sara and Gruff, were invited to visit the Charity’s airbase in Welshpool, where they met the Wales Air Ambulance crew – Critical Care Practitioners Kate Owen and Jo Thomas, Dr Ian Bowler and Pilot Paul Cakebread.
Kate Thomas, Regional Fundraising Manager for Wales Air Ambulance, said: “A huge thank you to Alun and Shan who over the years have raised an incredible £5,800 for our Charity. The support we’ve received from them is wonderful.
“Despite it being a sad month, where they have had to close the doors of their much-loved tearoom, they still wanted to take part in our annual ‘Coffee and Cake’ fundraiser. Thanks to everyone who supported them in raising £1,400 for our 24th birthday.
“Fundraisers, like this one, will help us continue to be there for the people of Wales 24/7. We are delighted to hear that Alun and Shan’s granddaughters, Beca and Mali, will now continue to raise funds for the Charity.
“Thank you for your support and good luck with the new venue.”
For more information on the Halfway Inn, click here to visit their Facebook page.
