Fifth Generation Prestatyn Hotel Lends Helping Hand to Local Families This Christmas
A fifth-generation Prestatyn business has teamed up with a regional charity to make a difference to struggling families this Christmas.
Lyons Nant Hall, a Grade II listed 19th-century building which has been operating under the Lyons-Mounds family for the past decade, have partnered with North Wales Superkids for the second year running.
The Superkids charity, founded by Margaret Williams MBE from Flint, has been committed to supporting families living on the breadline since 1994. Year-on-year, the charity has gone from strength to strength and this Christmas, Margaret plans to help around 1,500 children across Conwy, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham.
Following a successful career in social services, Margaret feared that the ‘toy box appeal’ which was operating in the late 1990s would come to an end soon after her retirement. From this moment, she vowed to help as many kids as possible and continues to do so by collecting brand new toys, sorting them into sacks, and distributing them to deserving families across the region.
Superkids relies on community support and liaises with agencies who work with deprived families – whether that’s social services, local authorities, healthcare services and even some schools. Margaret said: “Every situation is different, but the common denominator is they are in crisis. It can be benefits, a change of circumstances, perhaps someone has lost their job or been diagnosed with an illness and is not able to work – and our role is to provide smiles instead of tears on Christmas day.
This year, the Lyons group – who operate 14 holiday parks across North Wales and Cumbria – hope to spread the message of kindness and love from one family to the next.
Joseph Lyons-Mound, one of the company directors, said: “We only jumped on board with this appeal in 2020 – and we wish we did it sooner. The work Margaret does is truly incredible and I don’t know how she does it. If there’s one thing we’ve all learnt over the past 18 months, it’s that no one should fight their battles alone. We feel privileged to help in any way we can, and this year, we’re proud to have hosted charity events and fundraisers for Superkids in the brand-new function room at Nant Hall.
“Our dedicated team at Lyons Mounds in Gronant have also been busy throughout the summer collecting toys and games on behalf of Superkids, so a huge thank you is in order to Christina and Mel for always having others in mind, even during our busiest peak season on record.”
Lyons Nant Hall, located on Prestatyn Road, will also be acting as a drop-off point for anyone wishing to donate brand-new toys to the charity, which will then be transported to the ‘Elves’ headquarters’ in Mold.
Zayneb Farhoud, events manager at the hotel and restaurant, said: “By opening our doors as a drop-off point for North Wales Superkids, we’re hopefully taking some of the pressure off the volunteers at the charity who are struggling to collect toys and gifts from the coastal end.
“We feel we’re the perfect venue to act as a drop-off point as we’re open 7 days a week. Locals wishing to donate toys or gifts are more than welcome to pop into Lyons Nant Hall on their morning commute from 8am, during their lunch break, or after work as we’re open until 10pm most nights.
“We’re privileged to have fundraised for Superkids with various events over the past few months, and we feel Margaret really should be commended for her unparalleled work.”
Beth Hughes, marketing and PR executive for the Lyons group, said the hunt is now on for any donations ahead of the Christmas boom. She said: “There’s so much work that goes into this each year, and Margaret and her elves could not work their Christmas magic without the support of the community. Each bag is specifically designed for a child, and each gift carefully selected to suit the age group, interests, and needs.
“Margaret expressed that this has been a particularly difficult year for the charity for reasons we can all understand and has said they are now ‘desperate’ for absolutely everything for ages 1-25 years-old.
“Christmas is a time for giving and spending time with loved ones for many, but we appreciate it isn’t a happy time for all. This is why we’ve decided to donate dozens of boxes of brand-new teddies from our amusement arcades at Lyons Robin Hood to the cause. If anyone is out shopping at Prestatyn retail park – which is less than a mile away from the Nant – or is ordering their shopping online this year, we urge you on behalf of Superkids to add one more toy to that list. It would make such a poignant difference to the lives of young children across North Wales who would otherwise go without presents this year.”
Margaret added: “We don’t ask people to buy expensive presents and don’t expect that. We’re looking for every day presents that you might give your child or grandchild – dolls, craft sets, footballs, annuals, books, cuddly toys, selection boxes, toiletry sets, CDs or DVDs. The donation deadline is 10th December, so please make sure you drop-off your items at Lyons Nant Hall before then.”