STAFF at OC Davies used their pedal power to cycle an incredible 453 miles to mark two special anniversaries.

This year the car dealership is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a Renault dealer, whilst the Wales Air Ambulance celebrated its 25th anniversary on St David’s Day.

The fundraiser raised an amazing £2,100 for the all-Wales lifesaving Charity.

To mark both milestones and the fact March 1 is also the launch of the new registration plate, an open day was held at its dealership in Cardigan.

The staff set themselves the spin bike challenge of cycling the distance of 104 miles, which is the distance between their three dealerships in Cardigan, Neyland and Carmarthen.

The 12-hour spin bike fundraiser, which took place from 8am – 8pm, saw 37 individuals take part. They smashed their original target by cycling an incredible combined distance of 453 miles.

Over the years OC Davies has raised over £6,600 for the Charity. The dealership plans to continue fundraising with the Wales Air Ambulance by holding future fundraisers.

Nicola Lewis, from OC Davies said: “We are incredibly proud to have raised £2,102. This fantastic amount exceeded all our expectations and shows just how supportive our community has been.

“The success of the event has inspired us to keep the momentum going and continue raising money for Wales Air Ambulance throughout the rest of the year. We currently have an Easter egg lucky dip running in the dealership, and we’re also planning to raise further funds later in the summer at some outdoor events we’ll be taking part in.

“The generosity and encouragement we’ve received so far has been truly motivating, and we’re excited to see how much more we can raise as the year goes on.”

Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury. It is delivered via a unique third-sector and public-sector partnership.

The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles. This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.

As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.

OC Davies welcomed over 200 visitors to the dealership and sold approximately 900 tickets for its grand raffle.

Some of the raffle prizes were donated by businesses including The Cliff Hotel & Spa, Tom Samways Butchers, U Melt Me, Tonnau, Theatr Mwldan, Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo and The Queen’s Hall.

The dealership was also grateful for prizes donated by the Scarlets and Swansea City FC

Nicola said: “The open day was wonderfully supported by local businesses and members of the community, which helped make the event so special.

“We were overwhelmed by the generosity and support from businesses in Cardigan and beyond who kindly donated prizes for our grand raffle. Thanks to their contributions, we were able to offer a fantastic variety of prizes on the day.”

The spin bikes were kindly loaned to OC Davies for the fundraiser by Neil Fulstow Fitness Coaching, along with the generous support of Clive Evans and Clive Davies.

The Charity’s mascot Biggles also enjoyed the day and also had a turn on the DJ decks.

Emily Bell, Wales Air Ambulance’s Regional Fundraising Co-ordinator said: “A huge congratulations to the staff at OC Davies, who smashed their original target, whilst raising an incredible amount for our Charity.

“It was a lovely open day, which I was delighted to attend. OC Davies found a wonderful way to mark both anniversaries.

“Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £13 million every year to keep our helicopters flying and our rapid response vehicles on the road. Fundraisers, like OC Davies, will help us continue to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most. Thank you so much to everyone that made the open day a huge success! We are extremely grateful.”

For more information on OC Davies visit www.ocdavies.com