Pembrokeshire winners celebrated as Child of Wales Awards raises £46,000 for charity
Two inspirational Pembrokeshire winners were among those recognised at this year’s Child of Wales Awards, as hundreds gathered in Swansea for an evening celebrating remarkable young people from across the country.
The Guile Family received the Courageous Family Award, while Haverfordwest’s Luca Morrillo was named Young Sporting Hero (Under 13).
More than 700 guests attended the fifth annual awards at Swansea Building Society Arena on Friday, October 2, with 14 winners recognised for stories of courage, resilience, kindness, determination and achievement.
Pembrokeshire-founded Ascona Group returned as headline sponsor of the awards for a second consecutive year, making the recognition of two winners from the county particularly significant for the company.
The ceremony was hosted by TV presenter Gethin Jones and included entertainment from The Brand New Heavies, the Mark Jermin Children’s Choir and former Child of Wales Young Performer winner Lucciano Mortimore.
As well as celebrating the award recipients, the evening raised an impressive £46,000 for Wales Air Ambulance and Big Moose.
Ascona Group founder and CEO Darren Briggs also took to the stage during the evening, speaking about the company’s involvement with the awards and the role businesses can play in supporting their communities.
Wales Air Ambulance has a particularly strong connection with Ascona. Darren is the charity’s first Business Ambassador for Wales, while the company has committed to raising £1 million for the service over a ten-year period.
More than £450,000 has already been generated towards that target.
Now in its fifth year, the Child of Wales Awards was founded by Blanche and Mark Sainsbury to recognise and celebrate inspirational children, young people and families from across Wales.
This year’s event once again brought together families, businesses, supporters and well-known faces while raising vital funds for two Welsh charities.
Photo Credit: Ascona Group