GENEROUS GOLFERS have helped raised nearly £900 for an all-Wales lifesaving charity.
The women, at St Melyd Golf Club, Prestatyn, helped raise the funds for the Wales Air Ambulance after the club’s Lady Captain for 2024/25, Lesley Williams, nominated the lifesaving service as their Charity of the Year.
The Charity was chosen by Lesley due to the fact her late husband Neville and his best friend Charlie Clubb were both ‘staunch supporters’ of the Wales Air Ambulance. The friends regularly fundraised and raised £500 for the charity.
Lesley said: “They both quickly realised the importance of getting an ambulance to injured people in inaccessible places. Nev witnessed several road crashes during his career and Charlie knew how difficult it was to get help to injured climbers from his experiences as a hill walker.
“However, the Wales Air Ambulance is always in my mind as an excellent charity to support as anyone may need access to an air ambulance. So, when I became Lady Captain, I saw the opportunity to give the Wales Air Ambulance some more support and I took it. The idea was well received from the ladies of the club.”
Throughout Lesley’s term as ladies captain there were a variety of different fundraising events held at the club, including raffles, drive in, donations instead of Christmas cards that were placed on a Christmas tree, as well as cards in memory of loved ones.
A popular fundraiser that Lesley came up with was to invite members to donate any used or found golf balls and place them in a large plastic dustbin.
Lesley said: “The initial idea being that when the bin was full, I would count the balls and charge the ladies to have a guess at how many were collected, giving prizes to the closest.
“The bin was overflowing before May, so I emptied it and we started again. They had filled it a second time by late September.”
Lesley later discovered that there was a company online that recycled used golf balls and she was delighted to send them an incredible 2,011 balls in two batches and she received two cheques amounting to nearly £100.
In the summer Lesley also sponsored the ‘Charity Day’, which raised £205.
The strong team of just 45 women supported their captain throughout the year. A proud Lesley said: “I was absolutely stunned by the grand total of £897 and I know that the ladies were delighted. The ladies gave very generously, and I cannot thank them enough.
“The Charity was brought further into the spotlight when two air ambulances had to land on our golf course to rescue two builders who had fallen from the roof of a property adjacent to the seventh green. Fortunately, both men were ok, although one was severely injured.
“All in all, I was delighted and proud to be able to successfully contribute to such a worthy cause and the support from my friends at the club was fantastic.”
The lifesaving service 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 Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £13 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
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.
Debra Sima, Regional Fundraising Manager for North East Wales, was delighted to meet Lesley at the golf club.
She said: “Thank you to Lesley and the ladies for your supporting the Wales Air Ambulance, you have raised a fantastic amount for our all-Wales Charity. We really appreciate your support.
“Lesley worked hard throughout the year to arrange a variety of different fundraising opportunities which were a huge success. Thank you to all the ladies for supporting her and helping to save lives across Wales.
“Your generosity allows us to continue to provide our vital services to the people of Wales, when they need us the most.”
