Wales Air Ambulance selected as our nominated charity for 2021

We’re very pleased to be able to announce that our team, here at Swansea Building Society, has chosen to continue our support of Wales Air Ambulance as our official staff charity for another year.  

The Wales Air Ambulance has been our official charity during 2020, following a vote by our staff. However, due to COVID-19, our staff felt that we have been unable to raise funds from many of the activities we would have liked to have undertaken, so would like the chance to do that in 2021, once, hopefully, restrictions are lifted.

Having said that, we have been able to raise a considerable amount for the valuable medical rescue service, helping it achieve its long-held ambition of becoming a 24/7 service across Wales, and allowing them to keep helicopters in the air during an unprecedented year.

The Wales Air Ambulance Charitable Trust welcomed the £5,000 donation we made in June, as well as the additional £5,000 donation we made at the end of last year – funds it said have been much-needed due to the way in which the coronavirus pandemic has limited many forms of fundraising this year.

The Society has also totalled up all monies from collection tins at our branches, which we have again more than match funded. This, along with a further individual donation from one of our customers of £250, brings the total raised for the charity by Swansea Building Society during 2020 to £10,718.

With UK charitable donations falling during lockdown, we understood that these donations would be greatly appreciated by this valuable medical rescue service – allowing them to keep helicopters in the air during an unprecedented year.

During 2021, our staff hope to be able to undertake the cake sales, dress down days, quiz’s, fundraising runs and cycle rides we had planned to raise money for the charity this year, meaning our total should, hopefully, surpass the already considerable amount we have managed to raise during 2020, despite the difficulties.

Wales Air Ambulance is funded entirely by the people of Wales. The charity does not receive direct funding from the government, and it does not qualify for National Lottery funding. Instead, it relies on the support of the Welsh public to help keep the helicopters flying. Its helicopters are kept in the air solely through charitable donations, fundraising events and membership of its in‐house Lifesaving Lottery.

The Charity has four airbase operations in Caernarfon, Llanelli, Welshpool and Cardiff. As well as flying patients to hospital, they bring A&E directly to patients.

The on‐board critical care consultants and practitioners have some of the most pioneering equipment and skills in the world. They deliver emergency treatments usually not available outside of a hospital environment, including the ability to conduct blood transfusions, administer anaesthetics, offer strong painkillers, and conduct a range of medical procedures. This means that patients receive advanced care before they even reach the hospital.

In December 2020, the Charity achieved its ultimate aim of becoming a 24/7 service. Alongside the four-aircraft operation which runs in the daytime, the Charity now has a helicopter and crew on standby throughout the night which is capable of supporting emergencies across Wales.

The money raised by the Society for Wales Air Ambulance adds to significant funds already raised for a variety of worthy causes during 2020: £1,000 raised for the Movember campaign; £2,820 raised for Maggies Cancer Charity; £1,071 raised for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal; £1,000 raised for the NHS; £500 for Carmarthen Food Bank; and £310 for the leading homeless charity Llamau West Wales.

Richard Miles, our Head of Savings, said:
“We had lots of group fundraising activities planned for 2020, but COVID-19, unfortunately, meant they were unable to go ahead. Despite these difficulties, our staff managed to raise a considerable amount during 2020. The Society has also stepped in with considerable donations to ensure none of the charities missed out – by more than match-funding all monies raised for the worthy causes we’ve supported.

“During 2021, our staff hope to be able to undertake some of the cake sales, dress down days, quiz’s, fundraising runs and cycle rides we had planned to raise money for charity this year. Hopefully, this should mean our 2021 total will surpass the considerable amount we have managed to raise during 2020, despite the difficulties.”

Mark Stevens, Wales Air Ambulance Fundraising Manager, said:
“Everybody at Swansea Building Society has shown incredible generosity towards our charity. We are humbled by their continued support and are proud to be associated with them.

“2020 has been a significant year in our history, and not just because of the pandemic. It is the year that we have achieved our aim of delivering a lifesaving service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To maintain the helicopter operation, we need to raise £8 million every year.

“During 2021, our charity will celebrate its 20th anniversary and we are delighted that Swansea Building Society will be a part of this significant milestone.”