Local manufacturer provides vital support to charities with donations

An organisation helping children and young adults with learning disabilities and a specialist palliative care hospice are to benefit from a Flintshire business’ charitable donations.

A contribution of £1,000 has been made to both DAFFODILS and St Kentigern Hospice by Synthite, a Mold-based chemical manufacturer.

The donations form part of the £2,000 allocation from parent company Tennants Consolidated Ltd to help causes of their choice within the local community.

DAFFODILS, situated in the same town as Synthite, offers support to youngsters in Flintshire aged up to 25 who require assistance with a range of special needs, including autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The funds will go towards covering the charity’s monthly workshop for the whole of 2024. Held in Sychdyn, they are regularly attended by at least 20 families.

Anita James, office manager at DAFFODILS for the last 18 years, said: “Donations like this one mean the world to us.

“We wouldn’t be able to operate without the funding we receive, so to know that we’ve got the Saturday workshop in Sychdyn covered for the next 12 months is wonderful.”

The gathering provides a space for disabled youngsters to spend time playing games, crafting, and cooking.

It also allows time for siblings and parents to socialise, as do the 150-plus events organised by DAFFODILS each year, ranging from trips to Blackpool and Chester Zoo, to themed occasions, such as Chinese New Year, Easter, and Christmas.

Anita added: “We see ourselves as the biggest family in Flintshire, and helping not only youngsters with disabilities, but also their brother, sister, mum, and dad is priceless.”

St Asaph-based St Kentigern Hospice is a leading healthcare organisation providing specialist palliative care services to patients with life-limiting illnesses.

Free of charge to patients and families across Denbighshire, West Flintshire, and East Conwy, the hospice has a wide range of state-of-the-art facilities, including day care, an outpatient clinic, bereavement support, and complementary therapies.

The cost of running St Kentigern for one day is £7,977, up from £5,350 in early 2022.

Corporate fundraiser Alwyn Mason said: “Only 30 per cent of our funding comes from the local authority, so we need to make up the shortfall ourselves.

“At a time when companies are tightening their belts due to the cost of living, to receive the Synthite donation is fantastic.

“We haven’t earmarked the money to go to any one thing, but to give an idea of expenditure, a bed for an inpatient for the night costs £750 and 12 hours of vital nursing care is £350.

“You can see from those numbers just how invaluable a donation of this amount from Synthite is, and we are very grateful for the support.”

Sarah Jones, assistant accountant at Synthite, said: “DAFFODILS and St Kentigern Hospice do so much important work in the regions in which they operate, and we are thrilled to be able to help them.

“I’d urge any business looking to become involved with a charity to consider the vital work of both these organisations, which go above and beyond to support people in our communities.”

Synthite has operated from Alyn Works on Denbigh Road in Mold since the 1950s and employs 120 people.