A year of fundraising at Valero Pembroke Refinery has drawn to a close, with a surprise donation of £9,000 to the refinery’s 2016 Charity of the Year, HOPE MS Therapy Centre.

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

In 2016 they chose HOPE, a local charity based in Honeyborough, Neyland, who provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy and other support services for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and other neurological conditions.

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

In addition, HOPE received match funding in recognition of the refinery achieving a number of safety targets throughout the year.

Stephen Thornton, Valero Public Affairs Manager, said: “As HOPE’s time as Valero’s charity of the year draws to a close, we wanted to mark Valero’s fundraising efforts for this inspiring local charity with a final major donation.

"HOPE provides a vitally needed service for MS sufferers in Pembrokeshire and their families, as well as other those suffering from other conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.

"We hope that the funds that have been raised from all the various events run throughout the year – which we estimate to be in excess of £30,000 – will make some difference to this small yet very special charity.”

HOPE representatives Ken Brombley and Tracy Gratton were on hand to receive the cheque from members of Valero’s Volunteer Council. Mr Brombley, Chairman of HOPE, said: “2016 is HOPE’s 30th anniversary year and we could not have been more delighted back in January when we found out we had been chosen as Valero’s charity of the year.

"The additional focus we have received from Pembroke Refinery this year has been truly amazing, and every penny raised is ploughed back into supporting services for people here in Pembrokeshire in desperate need of the help we provide.

"On behalf of all of us from HOPE, I would like to thank Valero and the entire workforce who have helped make this a very happy anniversary for us indeed.”