A group of hotshots from a trailer firm on Deeside have been raising money for a children’s hospice.
Staff at the Ifor Williams Trailers factory on Deeside Industrial Estate held a shoot-out competition during their lunch break in aid of the Hope House/Tŷ Gobaith charity.
Inspired by the high scoring World Cup in Brazil, the football-mad trailer makers were extremely competitive – but it was all in a good cause.
The charity needs to raise £4 million a year to maintain their vital services for children with life-limiting conditions.
They have two hospices, Hope House near Oswestry and Tŷ Gobaith in the Conwy Valley which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
The organisation is currently helping more than 500 families from across North and Mid Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire.
Ifor Williams Trailers have designed a special football trailer which has a platform with holes.
They have added a platform with holes to a tipper trailer – the holes are worth 20 or 30 points depending where they are on the platform.
The idea is that competitors will have to try and kick footballs into the holes and be awarded points accordingly.
It was designed originally for the firm’s stand at the Urdd National Eisteddfod in Bala where it was a big hit.
Now, it’s being used for inter-factory tournament with Ifor Williams Trailers staff joining in the fund-raising fun.
Graduate design engineer Gareth Williams is taking the shoot-out trailer around the various sites.
He said: “It’s tied in well with the World Cup and seems to have captured people’s imagination and got people into the football spirit.
“There are a lot of people here that have families of their own so the fact that it is for Tŷ Gobaith resonates with them
Pete Jakeman, the Business Operations Manager at IWT Composites which makes GRP parts for the trailers, was the top scorer at IWT Deeside with 90 points out of a maximum of 150.
He said: “I’m shocked really but you might say I’m over the moon. I’m well chuffed.
“It’s been a lot of fun and it’s for a brilliant cause – so everyone’s a winner.”
Laminator Adrian Chare wasn’t far behind with 60.
He said: “It’s a pretty neat game and it’s going to help the children in the hospice.” –
Team Leader Greg Jones got a respectable 40 but the main thing for him was raising money for the hospice.
He said: “.I’ve got seven children between my partner and I so this means a lot to me. No-one knows when they might need the services of Tŷ Gobaith.”
Business operations manager – Richard Szymanski, the Business Operations Manager at IWT Deeside, was equally enthusiastic.
He said: “It’s gone very well and I think the guys that took part really enjoyed it. It was nice to see the support from everybody. It was run really well, and everyone has had a very good time.
“Everybody knows about the wonderful work that Tŷ Gobaith do so the proceeds couldn’t got to a better cause.”
Hospice fund-raiser Eluned Yaxley is thrilled that Ifor Williams Trailers is supporting them in such a novel way.
She said: “We are absolutely thrilled that Ifor Williams Trailers are supporting us once again. It’s absolutely wonderful for us.
“We have a mountain and a half to climb in terms of raising money – we need £1 million for Tŷ Gobaith alone every year so we depend on fantastic supporters and friends such as Ifor Williams Trailers and others throughout the area.
“All the children we care for, from birth to 19, have life-limiting or terminal illnesses and we also work with, and support, bereaved families who may be struggling to come to terms with the death of a child.
“The service we provide is vital for the families we care for – it’s not just respite and terminal care that we provide. We also provide outreach services in the community as well as offering trauma support for the wider community.
“We are a lifeline for these families – we’re there when people need us most, 24/7 throughout the year.”
