Jones Bros charity auction raises a whole lot of funds for St Kentigern Hospice23rd Feb 2012

Employees of Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK have handed over a bumper £950 to local charity St Kentigern Hospice, St Asaph.

The much-needed donation was the proceeds of an auction of promises held among the workforce, organised by Iona Jones and Jenni Griffin who work in the heavy plant department.
The auction was a huge success, said Iona: “Last year we donated proceeds from a raffle to St Kentigern and we wanted to help out again in 2012. But the prizes being donated were so exciting that an auction of promises was held in addition to the raffle.

“The response was beyond our expectations and we are thrilled to be able to hand over such a big cheque. The hospice does so much good work for the community, it deserves all our support.

“We also want to thank all those local people and businesses who so kindly donated lots for the auction.”

Lots up for grabs included Stena ferry tickets and a white knuckle rally drive with Jones Bros project manager Hefin Lloyd Davies, who is a rally car driver in his spare time.

Family-owned Jones Bros is a keen supporter of St Kentigern, which was established in 1995 to provide palliative care for terminally ill adult patients from across North Wales, taking in Flintshire, Wrexham, Denbighshire and East Conwy.

Based at HM Stanley Hospital, all the hospice’s services are free to patients and their families, and it relies on grants and donations to provide valuable respite services and day care facilities.

Hospice assistant fund-raising manager, Lindsey Thomas, said: “We cannot thank Jones Bros enough. This is a very welcome donation and will go a long way towards helping maintain the services we provide here at St Kentigern. Our annual running costs are around £1.6m a year, so without grants and the continued support of the local community we would struggle to keep up the level of care we currently provide.”

When the hospice first opened, it was equipped with eight beds, but could only afford to run four beds full time. Then a Welsh Assembly grant enabled it to open the remaining beds. It now has a team of professional nurses, volunteers, fund-raisers and administration staff, offering seven day, 24-hour care for patients, as well as vital emotional support for their families.

Pic caption: Lyndsey Thomas (centre) St Kentigern’s Hospice, St Asaph, with Iona Jones (left) and Jenni Griffin, of Jones Bros, Ruthin, who raised £950 with their Auction of Promises.