Aberglasney Gardens donates Santa visit fees to Noah's Ark
Eleanor Keatley, chairman of Aberglasney's board of trustees, handed over the cheque.
She said: "As a charity ourselves, we know the importance of donations.
"We are delighted to be able to hand over a cheque for £1,634 to Noah's Ark Children's Hospital.
"A small fee was asked of those that wanted to visit Santa at our recent Winter Fair events, and as requested by Santa, we were pleased to donate the proceeds to this life-saving charity."
The Noah's Ark charity funds new and innovative medical equipment and facilities to improve treatment and outcomes for children.
It also provides emotional support services and a play specialist team to support children and families.
Nia Parfitt-Jones, Noah's Ark ambassador and former tearooms manager at Aberglasney, said: "Noah's Ark are very grateful to Aberglasney Gardens for agreeing to donate the proceeds raised from children visiting Santa in his grotto at recent Winter Fair events.
"At the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital Charity, children and families are at the heart of everything they do.
"As a charity that relies entirely on donations, the work at the hospital is all made possible thanks to generous donations like this one."
The charity also invests in technology to train future clinicians and strives to make the hospital a less frightening place for children by adding elements of fun and happiness to hospital days.
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Simon and Helen's daughter Ruby-Mae has severe complex needs. They say without Noah's Ark Children's Hospice, which faces rising costs, that life would be 'apocalyptic'. In 2023, Simon Morley and his partner Helen Bolger heard the words no parent wants to hear. "It was a scary moment when one of Ruby's epilepsy consultants told us, 'your daughter would benefit from the children's hospice'," Simon, 46, says. "But from the moment we walked through that door at Noah's Ark, it was such positivity and professionalism – it was an amazing set-up. We are part of the furniture now." Simon and Helen's seven-year-old daughter Ruby-Mae was diagnosed with Rett syndrome, a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder, at the age of two-and-a-half. She has severe complex needs, uses a wheelchair and needs an eye-gaze device to communicate, as she is non-verbal. For her family, life would now be unthinkable without the hospice. 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Aberglasney Gardens donates Santa visit fees to Noah's Ark
The funds were raised during the gardens' Winter Fair events, where a fee was charged to visit Santa. Eleanor Keatley, chairman of Aberglasney's board of trustees, handed over the cheque. She said: "As a charity ourselves, we know the importance of donations. "We are delighted to be able to hand over a cheque for £1,634 to Noah's Ark Children's Hospital. "A small fee was asked of those that wanted to visit Santa at our recent Winter Fair events, and as requested by Santa, we were pleased to donate the proceeds to this life-saving charity." The Noah's Ark charity funds new and innovative medical equipment and facilities to improve treatment and outcomes for children. It also provides emotional support services and a play specialist team to support children and families. Nia Parfitt-Jones, Noah's Ark ambassador and former tearooms manager at Aberglasney, said: "Noah's Ark are very grateful to Aberglasney Gardens for agreeing to donate the proceeds raised from children visiting Santa in his grotto at recent Winter Fair events. "At the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital Charity, children and families are at the heart of everything they do. "As a charity that relies entirely on donations, the work at the hospital is all made possible thanks to generous donations like this one." The charity also invests in technology to train future clinicians and strives to make the hospital a less frightening place for children by adding elements of fun and happiness to hospital days.
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