A YEAR of fundraising at Valero Pembroke Refinery has drawn to a close, with a final donation of £5,000 to the refinery’s 2017 Charity of the Year, Mind Pembrokeshire.

Every year employees and contractors at Valero vote by ballot for a charity to be receive a special focus throughout 12 months.

In 2017 they chose Mind Pembrokeshire, a local charity working for a better life for everyone with direct or indirect experience of mental health problems.

Fundraising events by refinery personnel throughout the year have included the refinery’s Charity Ball in September, the Pembroke Castle Christmas Fayre, sponsored by Valero and where Valero volunteers helped with bucket collections, as well as numerous other acts of individual and group fundraising.

In addition, Valero Volunteers helped serve teas and coffees at Mind Pembrokeshire’s AGM in April.

Stephen Thornton, Valero public affairs manager, said: “It has been a real pleasure having Mind Pembrokeshire as Valero’s charity of the year. As we mark the end of our fundraising and profile-raising year together we wanted to acknowledge this brilliant charity’s work by making a final major donation.

“The difference Mind Pembrokeshire makes to people with mental health issues in our county is immense and we hope these funds will be of use at this time of year.”

Mind Pembrokeshire representatives Tracey Price and Lydia Salerno were on hand to receive the cheque from members of Valero’s Volunteer Council.

Price, Mind Pembrokeshire CEO, said: “The partnership with Valero as Pembroke Refinery’s 2017 charity of the year has been an absolute pleasure. As well as the fundraising the chance to raise the profile of mental health provision in our communities has been incredible and on behalf of everyone at Mind Pembrokeshire I would once again like to say thank you to the Valero workforce for supporting us this year.”