Charity day at Cornish attraction raises thousands for air ambulance

Visitors to a family attraction in Cornwall have helped raise £6,400 for the Cornwall Air Ambulance.

Around a thousand  people attended a charity day at Lappa Valley, near St Newlyn East, on Saturday 14 March.

The attraction waived its usual admission fee for the day and instead invited visitors to donate directly to the charity. Volunteers from Cornwall Air Ambulance managed the ticket office so all proceeds went to the organisation.

Guests were able to take part in train rides and family activities, as well as meet members of the air ambulance team and learn more about its work across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Ben Harding, operations director at Lappa Valley, said it was “fantastic to see so many people come together to support Cornwall Air Ambulance”.

“The atmosphere throughout the day was brilliant - families enjoying everything Lappa Valley has to offer while knowing they were helping a truly vital service,” he said.

The event forms part of Lappa Valley’s partnership with Cornwall Air Ambulance as its Charity of the Year for 2026.

Owner Keith Southwell said the service provided “an essential” role in the community and thanked those who attended.

“To see over £6,000 raised in a single day is a wonderful result and shows the strength of support for this remarkable charity,” he said.

Julia Jeffery, corporate partnerships manager at the charity, said the money raised would make “a huge difference” to its work.

“We are so grateful to everyone who came along on Saturday to enjoy what was a truly fantastic day,” she said.

“We would like to send our heartfelt thanks to Lappa Valley for putting on such an incredible event… and to everyone who helped make the day such a success.”