A world cup penalty shoot out competition has scored a huge hit for a children’s hospice.
Pupils and teachers have been queuing up from first thing in morning until last thing in the evening to have a go at the Ifor Williams Trailers stand at the Urdd National Eisteddfod.
They are raising money for the Hope House/Tŷ Gobaith charity which needs to bring in £4 million a year to maintain their vital services for children with life-limiting conditions.
The organisation has two hospices, Hope House near Oswestry and Tŷ Gobaith in the Conwy Valley which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
The charity is currently helping more than 500 families from across North and Mid Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire
Ifor Williams Trailers designed a special football trailer which has a platform with holes, worth either 20 or 30 points.
The competition is open to schoolchildren and teachers who pay 50p for five footballs. The company has pledged to double the proceeds by matching however much is raised.
The pupil who achieves the highest score will win an iPad while the winning teacher will be given £500 for their school.
Among the Ifor Williams Trailers staff manning the Eisteddfod stand is Quality Controller Emrys Vaughan, 61, who has worked for the company for 39 years.
Emrys was delighted to be part of the fund-raising team on the Maes.
He said: “It’s going very well here and we’re raising a lot of money for Tŷ Gobaith.
“We’re raising money for a very good cause in Tŷ Gobaith.Everything is going well and I hope we can raise a lot of money.”
Also helping out at the Eisteddfod is trainee teacher Hannah Davies, from Llansannan.
She said: “Things are very busy here and the kids absolutely love the shoot-out trailer.
“There has been a queue there all day from 9am each morning all day till 7pm.
“Tŷ Gobaith is a fantastic cause and Ifor Williams Trailers are matching everything that goes in so they’ll get a lot of money by the end of the week.”
Six-year-old Nia Williams, from Overton on Dee, was among those who had a go.
Dad Gareth said: “The hospice is very important. Thankfully, I’m not in a position to have to use their facilities but I feel sorry for the families who do. It’s a lifeline for them.”
Tŷ Gobaith fund-raiser Eluned Yaxley is thrilled that Ifor Williams Trailers is supporting them in such a novel way.
She said: “It’s a momentous year for us and 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.”
