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Outgoing Town Mayor, Cllr Ian Buckley has presented his chosen charities, Woody’s Lodge and Amelia Trust Farm with a whopping £8,156.26 which he managed to raise during his time as Mayor.

The town Mayor as well as being the first citizen is responsible for raising money for their chosen charitable causes.

Cllr Buckley said:

“Despite losing half the year to covid restrictions I still had a busy year raising money for two incredible charities. I’d like to say a Big thanks to Wayne Jones for Yano’s Golf Day fundraiser, the team at Tesco, Gordon at the Masonic Hall and the coronation club for their support throughout the Mayoral term. Woody’s Lodge and the Amelia Trust Farm offer an ideal social prescription in addressing issues of depression, anxiety and isolation without relying on chemical intervention. Both charities work so hard to improve mental health, well-being and education for all.”

On recieving the donation the team at Woody’s Lodge said:

It was such an honor today to welcome Councillor Ian Buckley, Penarth Town Mayor. Ian chose to raise money for Woody’s Lodge and Amelia Trust Farm throughout his term as Mayor, a very kind gesture that all of our staff and Patrons here at Woody’s Lodge have been very humbled by. From everyone at Woody’s Lodge we wish to give a massive heartfelt thank you to Ian for raising a massive £3878.13, for Woody’s Lodge, your hard work and kind donation will help support our patrons in so many different ways. You are true hero Ian and we salute you and your team at Penarth Town Council”

Woody’s Lodge is a communication and social hub for veterans, emergency service workers and their families operating in North and South Wales. Woody’s Lodge also acts as a base from which 20+ charitable and statutory agencies work.

The Lodge was established in the memory of Penarth resident, Royal Marine, and member of the Elite Special Boat Service, Paul ‘Woody’ Woodland who sadly lost his life in a training exercise, before he was due to return for a second tour in Afghanistan. Woody was born, bred and schooled in Penarth, South Wales and it was Woody’s dream of owning a log cabin after his service that became the inspiration for the charity.

In the summer of 2018, the charity established their South Wales premises within the Amelia Trust Farm, which is just off of Five Mile Lane on the edge of Barry and in the heart of the Vale of Glamorgan.

The Amelia Trust Farm is a 160-acre countryside sanctuary based in the Vale of Glamorgan. The Trust believes that no one should be excluded from society and they have a long, proud history of providing therapeutic support to disadvantaged and vulnerable people in a Care Farm setting.

The vision is to use the Farm as a ‘rural lung’ for a variety of people but especially those who are disadvantaged and vulnerable in an attempt to foster self-help, build confidence and enhance employment prospects.

In addition to supporting the educational needs of many, the farm is also open to the general public throughout the year. With woodland walks, animals to see, play areas and a café there is plenty to do and enjoy.