THE first Presidents’ Golf Open Day at Tenby Golf Club successfully raised £1,600 for the Wales Air Ambulance, highlighting the club's continued support for the lifesaving charity.

The club raised this incredible amount for club president Chris Beecher’s chosen charity via a popular raffle.

The raffle took place with prizes consisting of four ball vouchers to play at 12 outstanding courses across South Wales. The prizes were provided by the prestigious clubs.

Chris Beecher, together with the Tenby chairman of the board of trustees, Austin Davies, and the vice president of the golf club, Tony Key OBE, recently met with Mike May from the Wales Air Ambulance, at the famous Links Golf Club, to present him with the cheque for £1,600.

Tenby Golf Club has supported the lifesaving charity over several years and to date the Club has raised an incredible £5,500 for the cause.

Following the success of this inaugural competition it is anticipated that it will be continued by future presidents on Tenby Golf Club.

Tony Key said: “The raffle prizes on offer on this occasion were provided by 12 other prestigious Golf Clubs across South Wales in the form of free golf for four players and the total accumulated value was in excess of £3,000.

“We were delighted to be in a position to present Wales Air Ambulance with a cheque for £1,600 raised by raffling off the generous donations. We hope to continue to support this worthwhile charity for many years to come.

“Our donation to Wales Air Ambulance is a huge thank you to this wonderful charity that must be supported for the benefit of all.”

Wales Air Ambulance is a consultant-led pan-Wales service, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.

A unique partnership enables its dedicated crews to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.

The Charity marks its 25th anniversary this year. Over the past quarter of a century, Wales Air Ambulance has grown from a single aircraft operating limited hours into a nationwide, 24/7 service delivering advanced, hospital-standard care wherever it is needed – from roadsides and homes to mountainsides and coastlines. Crews now have access to four aircraft and a fleet of rapid response vehicles.

The service has attended more than 57,000 missions, providing lifesaving treatment in some of the most challenging circumstances and giving patients the best possible chance of survival and recovery.

Mike May, Wales Air Ambulance’s Regional Fundraising Manager, said: “We were delighted to be nominated at the Presidents chosen charity. A huge thank you to everyone at Tenby Golf Club and the competitors who played a part in raising a wonderful £1,600 for the Wales Air Ambulance. It was lovely to meet the members of the golf club during the recent cheque presentation.

“Our Charity needs to raise £13 million every year to keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road. The golf club raffle will help us to continue to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most. Thank you to everyone who donated to our cause.”