Bettws Hall donates £59k to charities

Mid-Wales sporting estate Bettws Hall has given £59,185 to the NHS Charities Together fund, which was the proceeds of a raffle to win a day’s shooting.

The exclusive family-run business, best-known for its gamebird shooting, launched the fundraiser in April on the Just Giving platform, with the aim of raising £50,000 but that target was smashed by the time the winner was drawn last month (October).

Bettws Hall managing director Gwyn Evans, revealed: “We didn’t ever imagine exceeding [that] when we first conjured up the idea. We were clapping for our carers one Thursday evening and could see the community spirit was strong. We thought there must be something we can do for our heroes on the front line, so we decided to donate a day at one of our six estates for a full team.”

The winning ticket was drawn by Amazon’s Alexa just two hours before the Welsh ‘firebreak’ lockdown and was watched live by a string of Welsh dignitaries.

The funds raised will help the NHS provide wellbeing packs, accommodation, travel, parking and volunteer expenses, along with support for the longer-term mental and physical rehabilitation of NHS staff, volunteers, carers and patients once the pandemic is over. It will also help NHS patients leave hospital safely and quickly.

NHS staff nurse Jules Lewis from Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust said: “The money you have raised is making such a difference… to help support our staff so they can support their patients. We can continue to do some amazing stuff… thank you all so much, it means the world to us!”