A touching community event held at Basilia Café in Langley Mill has raised an outstanding £6,000 for The Air Ambulance Service (TAAS), bringing the total donated in memory of café co-owner Roy to £10,000, including contributions made at his funeral.
The Kindness Café was created earlier this year following the sudden and heartbreaking passing of Roy, the much-loved co-owner of Basilia Café. On the day of the incident, The Air Ambulance Service was first to arrive on scene, providing immediate critical support. Since then, the charity’s team has continued to offer comfort and kindness to Roy’s wife, Cathy, and their family.
Cathy said: “The Air Ambulance were there for Roy when we needed them most. Their compassion and care meant the world to us, and we wanted to find a way to give back. When Kerry (founder of local business Letterbox Love) first mentioned the idea of The Kindness Café, I knew it would be a beautiful way not only to honour Roy’s memory, but to celebrate the kindness of our community too.”
Hosted in partnership with Letterbox Love, the event welcomed hundreds of supporters for a morning filled with cake, coffee, raffles, and a strong sense of community connection. Visitors enjoyed Basilia’s much-loved bakes, Letterbox Love’s charity bracelets, a dedicated kindness wall, and a raffle supported by more than 40 generous local businesses, including Morley Hayes, Moddershall Oaks Spa, Withers Gin, The Hub, and Smalls Kitchen.
Every penny raised is helping to support the lifesaving missions of The Air Ambulance Service.
Letterbox Love founder, Kerry Bilson, added: “We are absolutely blown away by the generosity shown by everyone involved. In a cost-of-living crisis, we know money is tight, yet people still showed up, donated, and gave with such open hearts. This event was about turning loss into kindness and the community truly did that.”
A special thanks was shared for the dedicated team at Basilia Café, who helped bring the event to life while supporting one another, and Cathy, through an incredibly difficult time.
The Air Ambulance Service provides pre-hospital critical care across five counties in the midlands, attending the most serious medical emergencies when every second counts. The charity receives no government or National Lottery funding and relies entirely on donations to keep its vital services operational.
