WORKERS at a nut butter manufacturer in Wrexham have taken on Snowdon as part of a series of fundraisers.

Staff at Meridian Foods organised the challenge in aid of Wales Air Ambulance, after nominating the lifesaving service to be its Charity of the Year.

Sian Wass, production planner at Meridian Foods, said: "The air ambulance is extraordinary. I always thought it just landed at the scene and took the patient to hospital, wherever that might be.

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"To know they can perform treatments and procedures that would normally only be delivered in a hospital is just mind blowing. It's the difference between someone surviving or losing their life."

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 Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the charity's vehicles.

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Sian added: "Not everyone will thankfully need the air ambulance, but you may know someone who does in the future, and you would want to know they were getting the best care they could.

"That's why our team agreed to support and raise awareness of the work it does. Most people don't realise it's a charity, and we want to do our bit to help."

Meridian Foods is part of a bigger company called SHS, and forms part of the food division. Every sector chooses a charity to support and following a vote amongst staff, the Wales Air Ambulance was nominated as their Charity of the Year.

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Between 100 and 150 staff work over two sites on the Wrexham Industrial Estate - which is one of the biggest in Europe.

Recently, the team at Meridian Foods climbed Snowdon to raise funds for the charity.

Sian said: "Our staff did an incredible job putting this event together - it took months to organise. The money keeps adding up and we are around £2,000, but we want to keep adding to that."

The staff continue to think of new ways to support the lifesaving charity and have introduced a quarterly annual leave raffle and Euros 2024 sweepstake.

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The Wales Air Ambulance operates 24/7 throughout Wales and needs to raise £11.2m every year to keep the helicopters flying and its rapid response vehicles on the road. 

Debra Sima, Wales Air Ambulance's regional fundraising manager for North East Wales, said: "We are so grateful to be nominated as Meridian Food's Charity of the Year - their support will help us to continue saving lives across Wales.

"A special thank you to everyone who took part in the Snowdon challenge to raise vital funds for us, and good luck to those competing in the Euro 2024 fundraiser.

"Support like this means we can keep our helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road. Diolch yn fawr."