A CHORAL ‘sing-off’ at a Pembrokeshire microbrewery has once again hit all the right notes by raising over £2,800 for charity.

Bluestone Brewing Company held its annual Charity Choir Competition last month at their Newport microbrewery in aid of the Wales Air Ambulance.

Local choirs were asked to preform two songs in front of the audience and the judging panel, which included Wales Air Ambulance volunteer Ann Evans.

The choirs, Bois Y Felin, Cantabile, Llangwm Village Voices and Newport Community Choir and St Dogmaels Singing Village, were given scores by the judges and in the evening the winning choir – Bois y Felin - was crowned “Bluestone Brewing Company Choir of the Year”.

The ‘Sing-off’, which has been described as a fun and lively community event, was compered by stand-up comedian Steffan Evans and it was supported by Cwm Gwaun Catering. The entry fee, bucket collections and all bar profits were donated to the lifesaving charity.

The company is no stranger to raising funds for the Wales Air Ambulance, this was its fifth choir competition in aid of the 24/7 lifesaving charity. As well as the choir competitions they host regular quiz nights for the Wales Air Ambulance. Over the years they’ve raised over £10,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance.

Emily Hutchinson, director of Bluestone Brewing Company said:

“We feel very proud to have raised £2,822. It feels wonderful to be able to donate such a great sum of money and it’s a reflection of the very generous community that we live in. Our friends and visitors also appreciate how important Wales Air Ambulance is and we know that they are all very happy to support the Charity.

“Living in a rural community, we know how important the work of Wales Air Ambulance is. As a family, we have had to call on the Wales Air Ambulance more than once and we are so grateful for the amazing work that they do, we really would be lost without them. It is so important, especially in these difficult financial times, that we continue to support lifesaving services like Wales Air Ambulance as much as we can.”

The Wales Air Ambulance Charity emergency service offers advanced critical care and is often described as a ‘Flying ED’. The on-board consultants and critical care practitioners are highly skilled and carry some of the most pioneering medical equipment in the world. They can deliver blood transfusions, administer anaesthesia, and undertake emergency operations at the scene of the incident, before flying the patient directly to specialist care. 

James Cordell, Community Fundraiser for the Wales Air ambulance added:

“Once again the annual sing-off was a huge success. Bluestone Brewing Company has raised over £10,000 for our Charity in six years, which is incredible. The Charity is close to the hearts after the family needed the help of the Wales Air Ambulance. We’re very grateful for their continued support. Thank you to everyone who took part or donated to this wonderful fundraiser.

“We regularly attend life and limb-threatening emergencies in Pembrokeshire. Donations like this are vital and we know how important our service is, particularly for rural areas. By keeping our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road, we can continue to take the emergency department to the patient, saving time and saving lives.”

There are several ways that the public can continue to support the Wales Air Ambulance. These include online donations, signing up to the Charity’s Lifesaving Lottery or by coming up with their own innovative ways to fundraise at home. Further information can be found via www.walesairambulance.com.

Alternatively, a £5 text-message donation can be made by texting the word HELI to 70711.