The Camel Valley Vineyard has raised over £11,000 for the Cornwall Air Ambulance (CAAT) – enough to fuel the aircraft for a month.
The Cornwall wine producer, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, offers visitors the opportunity to upgrade their vineyard tour to include a glass of Camel Valley’s famous sparkling wine. The entire £1 upgrade fee is donated to the charity and over the past year alone, these donations have totalled more than £1.7k
Bob Lindo, who started Camel Valley with wife Annie in 1989, said: “There are two sorts of people in Cornwall: those who have needed the air ambulance, and those who might need it in the future.
“We see this reflected in the reaction from our visitors when we tell them the upgrade fee is in aid of the air ambulance. Many people pay the £1 fee and put an additional donation in the air ambulance collection jar.”
Bob and his son Sam, who has now taken over as Winemaker at the vineyard and has won UK Winemaker of the Year several times, recently visited the Cornwall Air Ambulance base to see the impact their donation will have.
Bob, himself a former RAF pilot, said: “Our visit made us very proud that Camel Valley has now raised in excess of £11k for this charity over the years. As a Cornish business we are proud to be able to give something back to the county, its people and those who come here on holiday.”
The Lindo family were inspired to start fundraising for Cornwall Air Ambulance after their 15 year old daughter Esther was airlifted in 1996 following a horse riding accident in Pencarrow. She is now a primary school teacher in Plymouth.
Susie Smith, fundraising manager for Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, said: “We are thrilled that Camel Valley are continuing their fantastic support for this charity, having already raised enough to fuel the helicopter for a month’s worth of missions – a truly amazing achievement.”
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