‘Mr Selfie’ helps keep medical charity in the air
WHEN fundraiser Keith Thomas sets himself a challenge, he really goes for it and what a huge success it has turned out to be.
This year Keith, better known as ‘Mr Selfie’, has been taking a selfie each day to raise funds for the Wales Air Ambulance.
The bus driver from Llanelli smashed his original target of raising £1,000 and has so far raised £2,253 over the past 11 months.
He is now hoping reach £2,500 by the end of the year, with just weeks to go.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Keith has had to adapt his selfietaking to include the two-metre rule and he has also contacted people to ask them to submit a selfie.
Some of the celebrities happy to take part in this wonderful challenge include Welsh Hollywood actor Michael Sheen, Coronation Street actors Will Mellor and Shobna Gulati, TV presenter Eamonn Holmes and rugby legends Jonathan Davies and Scott Quinnell.
Also taking part have been ITV Wales’s Kelsey Redmore, BBC Wales’s Claire Summers, weather presenters Sue Charles, Derek Brockway and Behnaz Akhgar, actress and radio presenter Sarah Champion and Carmarthen-born comedian Mike Doyle.
A delighted Keith said: “It has been great to see all sorts of celebrities get involved by sending a selfie for me to use, mainly on Twitter.
“They have all wished me luck in my fundraising efforts.
“I was blown away when Welsh legend of the big screen Michael Sheen replied with a selfie and a message of good luck.
“Every single selfie has been a personal favourite of mine as it is people showing their support for my fundraising and the Welsh Air Ambulance.”
Keith, 60, is no stranger to fundraising and has been raising funds for good causes since 2016.
To date, he has raised more than £13,500 for great causes and he hopes to raise a lot more in the future.
Keith and his wife Jane recently had a base visit at the charity’s headquarters in Dafen, Llanelli, where they met the charity’s staff and Keith took some selfies.
Speaking about why he has chosen the Wales Air Ambulance, he said: “I believe the air ambulances are such a crucial addition to the emergency services.
“I have seen them in action when my stepson played rugby.
“They have attended teammates of his on two occasions and were so fantastic at what they did.
“So many lives are saved because of the swift action of our medical services and the air ambulance is the ultimate enhancement of their incredible work.”
Wales Air Ambulance community fundraising manager, Jane Griffiths, said: “What a star Mr Selfie is! “He has taken on a year-long challenge for our charity and has raised a fantastic amount. His selfies always put a smile on my face.
“Keith has worked hard to get a lot of celebrities and families on board, and he should feel proud of himself.
“A huge thank you goes to everyone who has donated to his fundraiser or provided Keith with a selfie.
“Every donation will help keep our helicopters in the air so we can continue to take the emergency department to the patient, saving time and saving lives across Wales.”
You can show your support to Mr Selfie by taking a selfie and donating via his Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/keith-thomas32
You can follow Mr Selfie via his Twitter account @keiththom2014 or his Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/selfie365me2021