When Llandovery mayor Cllr Handel Davies recently handed over a cheque of over £2,000 to the Wales Air Ambulance, it was a gift that came wholly from the heart.

Two air ambulances were called to attend to Handel Davies following a freak accident when a sheepdog ran out in front of him whilst he was out cycling.

He was knocked unconscious for 15 minutes but fortunately didn’t require to be airlifted to hospital.

MORE NEWS

“The sheepdog literally appeared from nowhere at full speed and hit the front wheel of my bike at right angles,” he recalls.

“It caused me to fall immediately, but it happened so quickly I don’t remember hitting the road. Eyewitnesses have since commented that had I not been wearing a helmet I probably wouldn’t have survived.”

It took Handel between six and nine months to recover from the accident.

“This, on top of another serious cycling accident I'd had when I was 18, made me decide to hang up my bike once and for all and attend spin classes at the local leisure centre instead.”

Cllr Davies’ donation to Wales Air Ambulance was the result of his successful charity mayor’s ball which raised a total of £4,500 for two major causes.

 £2,280 has been donated to Wales Air Ambulance while the remainder is being given to the Llandovery Hospital League of Friends.

The Mayor and Mayoress recently presented the cheque to David Gilbert at a recent base visit at the Wales Air Ambulance’s headquarters in Llanelli.

Commenting on the donation, Jane Griffiths, Wales Air Ambulance’s Community Fundraising Manager thanked the people of Llandovery for their support.

“The mayor and mayoress of Llandovery have raised a fantastic amount for two important causes and we’re extremely grateful for them choosing the Wales Air Ambulance as one of the charities to benefit from the Mayors Charity Ball,” she said.

“It’s lovely to hear that the mayor has recovered from his freak accident, and we wish him well for the future. Your support of our lifesaving Charity is much appreciated and will help us to continue to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most.”