Sarah Hammer, Membership Advisor and Joanna Church, Leisure Operations Manager
Two Welsh children charities are getting eggs-cited about receiving a donation of 169 Easter eggs that have been collected by staff and members of the Vale Resort health club.
The Vale Resort staff will deliver the chocolate eggs to the Tŷ Hafan hospice in Sully and children’s cancer charity, LATCH, who are based at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, this week in readiness for children to enjoy this weekend.
Health club members were invited to buy an eggs-tra egg to donate to the charities and deliver it to the club’s reception. The reception team had begun to create an Easter display out of the donated goodies but soon ran out of room as deliveries flooded in. A total of 169 eggs were collected in just three weeks.
Joanna Church, leisure operations manager at the Vale Resort, said: “Supporting local charities is something we all feel very strongly about at the Vale Resort, and it’s great that the members have got behind us so we can spread a little Easter cheer to these two fantastic causes.
“Our members have been incredibly generous, with some individuals even bringing in eggs by the carrier bag full!
“We have worked with Ty Hafan before to run some rewarding events at the resort, including charity golf days and “It’s a Knockout”. As the donations started to pile up, we decided to split the Easter eggs donated between Tŷ Hafan and another local charity, Latch, who provide children diagnosed with cancer and their families with much-needed support.
“Both these charities do amazing work in south Wales and we are proud to be able to support them. I’d like to say a huge thank you to our health club members and our staff for the generosity of their donations, and wish them a very happy Easter.”
Ty Hafan hospice offers specialist palliative care and support to children with life-limiting conditions, as well as providing relief and respite care to their families. Since it was established in 1999 it has helped more than 550 families in Wales.
Alison Stallard, head of business and community fundraising at Tŷ Hafan, said: “The Vale Resort Health Club have been fantastic supporters of Tŷ Hafan, and we are incredibly grateful to their staff and members who have been busy collecting lots of Easter eggs for our families to enjoy. Easter is a very special time at Tŷ Hafan and it will be wonderful to see the children’s reaction when they receive all their treats.”
LATCH supports children being treated at the Paediatric Oncology Unit at the Children’s Hospital for Wales in Cardiff and their families. LATCH offers on-site accommodation for parents and siblings, emotional and practical support as well as dedicated staff to help the families through this very difficult time in their lives.
Denise Henderson, LATCH general manager, said: “We are greatly indebted to the members and staff of the Vale Resort Health Club for their generosity. It means so much to the children and their families to know that members of the public are thinking of them during their long stays in hospital.”
