Volunteers are a vital part of the Wales Air Ambulance team, helping in a host of diverse and exciting ways. Here are some of their fascinating stories.

Find out more about volunteering at Wales Air Ambulance here.

Jeff’s story

Van volunteer for the Cardiff shop

Volunteer Jeff Stillwagon is an American airline pilot.  When not flying planes for FEDEX, Jeff spends some of his spare time helping out on the Cardiff shop’s van.

“I'm American-born and my wife Kay is from Ystrad Mynach. We've been married 24 years and living in South Wales for the last six years,” he said.

Jeff is a retired US Navy Commander, where he was a Navy pilot flying from aircraft carriers for 24 years. Since then, he has been flying commercially for nearly 10 years; and the plane he currently flies is similar to the Boeing 767 that many of us have flown on to go on holiday.

Van volunteers help our team of drivers organise and distribute much-needed goods for the charity’s shops across Wales.

The van team has a busy operation on the roads, meeting supporters and collecting good quality furniture and donations for free. This helps Wales Air Ambulance to generate income through its community of shops.

Jeff found the Wales Air Ambulance to be the perfect charity to volunteer with: “Like many people, I’m passionate about the amazing world of aviation.

“When I’ve got my feet on the ground, I love to be involved with such a worthy cause that helps people in the skies.”