WALES Air Ambulance will be among the organisations taking part in the Scarlets Community Foundation’s ‘Salute to the Services’ event this weekend.
It will be a celebration of those who serve in the armed forces and blue light services.
The initiative is part of the match day programme at Parc y Scarlets today (January 10). Scarlets face Section Paloise in the Investec Champions Cup. Kick-off is at 3.00pm.
Paul Fisher, the Scarlets Community Foundation’s Community Manager said: “We have invited all the armed forces; the Army, Navy, RAF, Marines and all the emergency services, including Wales Air Ambulance to be part of our community village.
“It’s so important for us to be able to give these organisations a platform and show our support for the incredible work they do.”
With a crowd of around 8,000 people expected to attend, Paul says ‘a big part of the foundation’s role is to ‘enhance the matchday experience’ by supporting organisations and causes which ‘matter’ to their supporters.
Paul who was previously a coach with the rugby club’s academy pathway said: “I worked for the Welsh Rugby Union for around thirteen years as a development officer in communities like Ceredigion and Llanelli, then I went into the performance element for ten years.
“My background has always been to try and make a difference and be inclusive in the opportunities we provide. This is such a special job, and we get to collaborate with so many brilliant organisations.”
The Scarlets Community Foundation was founded in 2020 and engages with 40,000 people a year across the region.
Paul said: “The Scarlets brand is known worldwide, we are so fortunate that so many organisations want to collaborate with us.”
The Scarlets Community Foundation will be teaming up with Wales Air Ambulance in 2026, as the Charity prepares to mark its 25th anniversary.
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 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.
Paul recently visited the lifesaving service’s base in Dafen which is on the doorstep of Parc y Scarlets.
He said: “It’s been extraordinary to see the operation up close and meet the team.
“To know that this support network is in place as part of the critical care health system is phenomenal.
“Many people will have benefited from this over the past 25 years, with so many lives saved, it really is fantastic.”
He added: “We are looking forward to working with the Charity through the educational work we do with schools.
“It would be wonderful to be able to help children be more aware of the service, what it does and how important it is in the event of a life or limb threatening emergency.”
The Scarlets Community Foundation provides a variety of programmes across its region, as well as organising matchday entertainment and festivals.
Rees Davies has worked as a Community Officer for just over a year and said: “We do a lot of work with community clubs and on match days bring them in to be part of our home game build up.
“We support mixed ability rugby; LGBTQ+. organise boot camps in areas of deprivation and champion wheelchair rugby.
“As well as Sporting Memories, for elderly people who are sometimes in self-isolation or those suffering loneliness.”
Rees says, ‘the power of the badge is helping change lives.’ He added: “It is so important for our foundation members to get out and meet as many organisations as we can, so we can learn from each other.
“It’s only by doing things like coming to the Wales Air Ambulance base that you really get to connect with the team and understand the magnitude of the work they do.”
Mike May, Wales Air Ambulance Regional Fundraising Manager for South West Wales said: “The Scarlets Foundation is doing a fantastic job in the region engaging with people of all ages, reaching an incredible 40,000 each year.
“Like Wales Air Ambulance, it too is a Charity, so we are incredibly grateful for its support in helping raise awareness about our lifesaving service.
“Since our first flight took off on the 1 March 2001, we have attended almost fifty-five and a half thousand missions thanks to the generosity of our fundraisers and supporters.
“We are honoured to be part of the ‘Salute to the Services’ event and are looking forward to working with the Scarlets Community Foundation family in 2026.”
