A children’s hospice has been handed a £1,600 boost by a Welsh centre of excellence.
The cash has flowed to Tŷ Gobaith Children’s Hospice in the Conwy Valley from Bodnant Welsh Food Centre’s farm shop, thanks to donations from the Assembly’s 5p carrier bag charge.
And 2016 will see Bodnant continuing to help fund the hospice’s vital work, as Tŷ Gobaith has been re-selected as the centre’s nominated charity for the year.
Conrad Jones, operations manager at Bodnant Welsh Food, said: “We have always been delighted to support Tŷ Gobaith in any way we can because it does such amazing work with the young people it cares for, along with their families, at what can be an extremely difficult time of their lives.
“Bodnant also prides itself on being environmentally responsible and we have given our wholehearted support to the Welsh Government’s initiative on carrier bag charges, which has been such a success.
“To be able to pass the money raised from the 5p charge on to such an incredible organisation as Tŷ Gobaith has been very rewarding for us.
“Hopefully, these donations and money from our other fundraising ventures on their behalf has been beneficial to the hospice.”
Bodnant Welsh food Centre has previously hosted other fund-raising events, including special wine tastings, with events for this year still to be finalised.
The hospice at T’yn y Groes provides care and support to life-limited children, young people and their families from across North Wales. It offers a range of services, including respite and end-of-life care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Tŷ Gobaith area fundraiser Beverley Bradley said: “On behalf of the children and families that benefit from the special care at the hospice I would like to thank Bodnant Welsh Food for all their continued support with the carrier bag charges, which have raised nearly £1,600 – a fantastic amount from just those 5ps.
“We are also extremely grateful for all the other donations, totalling more than £3,300, made by Bodnant over the years to support local life-threatened and life-limited babies, children and young people.”
The Welsh Government pioneered the introduction of a nominal charge for single use carriers in October 2011, to cut down on the number of plastic bags littering towns and the countryside and endangering wildlife.
The scheme, which has seen 74 per cent decline in carrier bag use, has now been adopted across the UK.
Money raised by it has been passed on to a range of good causes in Wales and it’s estimated up to £22m has been added to the funds of charities and voluntary groups.
Bodnant Welsh Food Centre has its own dairy making cheese and ice cream, plus an on-site bakery and butchery, with award-winning pies. There’s also a wine store and tea rooms plus the Hayloft restaurant and farmhouse accommodation.
For more details, visit bodnant-welshfood.co.uk
