A grandmother of 10 has chosen Wales Air Ambulance as her Charity of the Year following her appointment as Lady Captain at Builth Wells Golf Club.

69-year-old Cathy Yates, a keen athlete who previously played hockey and canoeing, took up golf 30 years ago.

She can often be found on the green several times a week and recently organised a Golf Day alongside the club’s Men’s Captain, Shane Claridge, to support the lifesaving service.

Cathy explained: “Many of my friends and family have needed the help of the air ambulance over the years.

“My husband was riding his motorcycle a long time ago when he was hit off his bike.

“I also used to be a paraglider pilot and some of my friends had accidents in remote locations.”

She continued: “I’ve got a real interest in helicopters; I’ve got a degree in aeronautical engineering and love aircrafts.

“As you can imagine, the work of the Wales Air Ambulance really strikes a chord with me and it’s something I am keen to support.

“I’ve always done the monthly lottery but having this opportunity as lady captain will enable me to spend the next few months rallying even more support for the cause.”

Wales Air Ambulance is a consultant-led service delivering hospital-standard treatment at the scene and transferring patients to the most appropriate hospital. Operated through a unique partnership between the third and public sectors, it relies on public donations to raise £11.2 million annually to keep helicopters flying and rapid response vehicles on the road.

The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) provides skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who can perform advanced procedures such as anaesthesia, blood transfusions, and minor operations at the incident site.

Cathy is looking forward to visiting the air ambulance’s base in Welshpool during her year as Lady Captain.

“It’s going to be wonderful to get up close to the helicopter and look inside it. I cannot wait to meet the team,” she said.

Cathy enjoys bringing people together and looks forward to organising several events this year to support Wales Air Ambulance.

“Our golf day was just the start! It was a fabulous way to kick off our year of fundraising,” she said.

“The weather was on our side, once we got through the course, we headed back to the clubhouse for food and drinks. We managed to raise £250.”

Cathy added: “We have so much planned over the next few months from quiz and bingo nights.

“We’ve got a lady who organises film nights, another makes custard slices which she will sell for the Charity.

“Our gardeners bring in plants and vegetables and leave on the desk and ask for a donation.

“In October, when it gets dark early, we’ll be organising a night golf fun evening, with costumes.”

She added: “We’ve got a great support network at the club enabling us to do this for Wales Air Ambulance.

“Our Pro player Simon Edwards is brilliant, he makes everything so easy for us, we just turn up and play.

“We are hugely grateful too, to our green keepers, they work so hard to keep it looking lovely.

“People travel miles to come and play at our club because of the amazing course and sweeping views across Builth, it’s quite breathtaking.”

Kate Thomas, Regional Fundraising Manager for Wales Air Ambulance said: “We’d like to extend our congratulations to Cathy and Shane on their captaincies! We are hugely grateful to them both for nominating us at their Charity of the Year.

“Builth Wells Golf Club has also been incredibly supportive hosting many events in aid of us over the years, for which we are very thankful.

“Our fundraisers are at the heart of everything we do. They enable our teams to be able to attend patients wherever and whenever they need us. Every pound raised makes a big difference and helps save lives.”