6 days ago
Builth Wells Golf Club captain supports Wales Air Ambulance
A grandmother of ten has chosen Wales Air Ambulance as her charity of the year in her role as Lady Captain at Builth Wells Golf Club.
A lifelong sports enthusiast, Cathy Yates, 69, has played hockey and canoeed, but discovered her passion for golf 30 years ago.
She now plays regularly and recently co-organised a fundraising golf day with Shane Claridge, the club's men's captain.
Mrs Yates said: "Many of my friends and family have needed the help of the air ambulance over the years.
"My husband was riding his motorcycle a long time ago when he was hit off his bike.
"I also used to be a paraglider pilot and some of my friends had accidents in remote locations."
Mrs Yates said her professional background and personal interests make this charity even more meaningful.
She said: "I've got a real interest in helicopters; I've got a degree in aeronautical engineering and love aircrafts.
"As you can imagine, the work of the Wales Air Ambulance really strikes a chord with me and it's something I am keen to support.
"I've always done the monthly lottery but having this opportunity as lady captain will enable me to spend the next few months rallying even more support for the cause."
Wales Air Ambulance relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million it needs each year to operate its fleet of helicopters and response vehicles.
The service is designed to bring 'hospital-standard' treatments directly to patients, wherever they are in Wales.
Mrs Yates is now looking forward to visiting the air ambulance base in Welshpool during her time as Lady Captain.
She said: "It's going to be wonderful to get up close to the helicopter and look inside it.
"I cannot wait to meet the team."
Originally from Oxfordshire, Mrs Yates moved to Powys seven years ago and is now learning Welsh.
She said: "We live in such a beautiful part of Wales; it is very rural and learning the language is really important to me."
A former teacher and self-described adventurer, she and her husband Graham travelled across Europe for five years after retiring and spend summers in South Africa.
Between them, they have six children and ten grandchildren.
She said: "We love keeping active.
"And between our family and hobbies there is never a dull moment."
Mrs Yates is now looking forward to bringing people together through a full calendar of charity events.
She said: "Our golf day was just the start.
"It was a fabulous way to kick off our year of fundraisi ng.
"We managed to raise £250."
Planned events include quiz nights, bingo, and a special night golf evening in October.
She said: "We've got a great support network at the club enabling us to do this for Wales Air Ambulance.
"People travel miles to come and play at our club because of the amazing course and sweeping views across Builth.
"It's quite breathtaking."
Kate Thomas, regional fundraising manager for Wales Air Ambulance, said said: "We'd like to extend our congratulations to Cathy and Shane on their captaincies.
"We are hugely grateful to them both for nominating us as their charity of the year.
"Our fundraisers are at the heart of everything we do.
"They enable our teams to be able to attend patients wherever and whenever they need us.
