The man behind a charity which provides invaluable support to both parents and the Neonatal Unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital has been commended for his hard work at a special event at 10 Downing Street.
Frank Jones, the founder member and Chairman of ‘Cuddles’ was invited to the Local Charity Champion Reception at No10 by Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies to celebrate the work of the charity and his involvement.
Frank arrived in London last Monday and was given a tour of the House of Commons before watching proceedings from the galleries at the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
He was then accompanied to the reception by James, where he met other local charity champions, and heard from Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
James said:
“It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Frank to Parliament and to attend the reception at No10 with him, where the invaluable work which he, and other local charity champions, carry out was recognised and praised.
“I invited Frank as what he has achieved with Cuddles is quite remarkable and I felt all his efforts over a substantial number of years deserved to be acknowledged at a high level.
"He was invited to form a parent support group in 1984 after the birth of his son who was born 11 weeks early weighing only 2lbs12oz and it has been a labour of love for him since.
“Cuddles has provided invaluable support to both parents and the Neonatal Unit at Glan Clwyd since its establishment and I know that they are all so grateful for this support.
“The charity is there for families when they are going through some of the most difficult times, while complementing the care provided by the NHS in the neonatal unit.
“Frank and other volunteers were actively involved in successfully keeping the neonatal unit in North Wales, and the substantial funds they have raised have paid for the first baby scanner in North Wales, new incubators, cold cots, breast pumps, Christmas parties, the mother and baby room at the hospital, electronic tablets so parents could see their babies during the covid outbreak, and much more.
“The longevity of Cuddles is a credit to Frank’s work as a volunteer over a number of years and I was delighted he was able to travel to London for this special event.”
Frank said:
"I enjoyed the day very much. It was really informative, I was shown all around Westminster, and got to meet with Ministers. I really appreciate James inviting me, it's a day I will always remember."
To find out more about the charity or to make a donation, visit https://cuddlescharity.org/fundraising
