THE Ascona Group Child of Wales Awards 2026 will help raise funds for two lifesaving charities this autumn: Wales Air Ambulance and mental health charity Big Moose.

The event - a celebration of the inspirational achievements of the young people of Wales - will be hosted by Welsh BBC TV presenter Gethin Jones.

Over 700 people are expected to attend the Swansea Building Society Arena on Friday 2 October 2026.

The Brand New Heavies are the headline act; they have sold over 2.5 million records worldwide and are currently on their UK tour.

Co-founder Blanche Sainsbury said: “We are very excited to be back for a fifth year and so proud to be able to say we have sold out, with almost eight months to our award evening.

“I think it reflects the passion of our sponsors and supporters who really believe in our event because it shines a light on these inspirational children.

“Every day the headlines are so bleak, but something like this really lifts everyone’s spirits and reminds us of the special people we have living in our communities.”

Pembrokeshire-based forecourt and roadside retail business Ascona Group is the headline sponsor for the second year in a row. It has raised just over £333,000 for Wales Air Ambulance to date, that is equivalent to the cost of 94 lifesaving missions.

Managing director Darren Briggs said: “We are incredibly proud to be the headline sponsor of the Ascona Group Child of Wales Awards for the second-year running, celebrating the inspiring young people who represent the very best of Wales.

“Our return for 2026 reflects our continued commitment to recognising and championing the outstanding achievements of Wales’s remarkable young people and, of course, their families.”

The Ascona Group Child of Wales and Child of Britain Awards have raised over £300,000 for Charitable causes since 2021.

Blanche said: “There are so many wonderful organisations working with children and young people and our event is a platform for the incredible work they do.

“Wales Air Ambulance is one of the beneficiaries this year, because it has attended so many of our past award recipients.

“Our headline sponsor Ascona Group’s Chief Executive; Darren Briggs is also Business Ambassador for the Charity, so he has incredible insight of the work they do.”

Blanche continued: “We also champion smaller charities, like Big Moose who deserve to have a bigger profile in Wales.

“On meeting its Chief Executive Jeff Smith, and hearing his story, I was impressed with the work they are doing. They are supporting people as young as 4 with mental health problems.

“There is nothing more precious than preserving life and giving people the tools to help them navigate difficult moments. Big Moose is transforming lives every day!”

The Child of Wales Awards shines a light on children like 13-year-old Ioan Watts from Caerphilly who received the Young Fundraiser of the Year at last year’s event. He suffered a catastrophic brain injury in 2022 and needed the help of Wales Air Ambulance. To date he has raised over £50,000 for the lifesaving service.

During 2025, Wales Air Ambulance crews attended over 3,600 missions with more than 400 of these missions’ attending children across the country.

The Charity is funded by the people of Wales and needs to raise £13million every year.

Wales Air Ambulance’s Chief Executive Dr Sue Barnes said: “We are honoured to be one of the chosen charities for this year’s Ascona Group Child of Wales Awards.

“Wales Air Ambulance Charity was formed on St David’s Day, 1 March 2001, and this year we are marking our 25th anniversary.

“Wales Air Ambulance provides 24/7 advanced critical care and is often described as a ‘Mobile Emergency Department’. “The on-board consultants and critical care practitioners are highly skilled and carry some of the most pioneering medical equipment in the world.

“Our supporters are a big part of our Welsh success story; thanks to our generous fundraisers we can be there for patients wherever and whenever they need us.

“Every pound raised on the night will be shared between Wales Air Ambulance and Big Moose, helping save lives across Wales.”

Mental health Charity, Big Moose, supports hundreds of children and young people across the UK each year. It was co-founded by father and daughter Jeff and Chloe Smith, who say, ‘its goals are to help people with their mental health, prevent suicide and reduce homelessness.’

Jeff continued: “I feel so fortunate to be at the forefront of what we do, it is a privilege to hear the stories first hand from the people we help.

“It’s very moving and it’s what drives me to want to keep doing this important work.”

The Charity has helped 3,000 people over the past 12 months.

Jeff said: “The number of referrals we received in 2025 doubled, demand for what we are doing is rising every year.

“We have grown into a therapy-led business and therefore we need to ensure we are able to fundraise enough money to pay for the therapists needed for each referral.

“That’s why we are so grateful to the Ascona Group Child of Wales Awards for giving us an incredible platform and helping us raise awareness about our lifesaving work.”