A pub landlord has praised his community for helping his team raise more than £10,000 for a lifesaving service.

Craig Small, owner of The Banc in Knighton, Powys, said his community "deserves all the credit" for helping his team raise the money for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity.

The 35-year-old pledged to fundraise for the charity after meeting Wales Air Ambulance volunteer Andrew Catling in 2018.

Mr Small said: "I have known Andrew for quite a few years and was aware of the work he was doing with the charity.

"He initially thought I was quite ambitious, setting a £10,000 target, but was hugely supportive.

"We have been averaging about £120 a month for the air ambulance.

"It’s really all down to the kindness of our customers to be honest.

"They have been so generous."

Before starting his own business, Mr Small gained experience working in various bars and restaurants.

He said: "The pub I used to work at ran a bonus ball scheme and it worked well.

"So, when we started up, I decided to do the same at The Banc.

"Every Saturday the lottery happens, so everyone puts a pound in the pot.

"The winner gets half the money, the rest goes to the Wales Air Ambulance."

The Banc’s bar quizzes are incredibly popular with customers and have helped raise thousands of pounds for Wales Air Ambulance and other charities.

The Banc team raised at least £600 every quiz night (Image: Supplied) Mr Small said: "We are fully booked until the end of 2025!

"It was only meant to be a one-off because we were having a few quiet nights.

"I thought we might as well run a quiz and see what people think of it.

"The first one was for the air ambulance.

"We had a full house with 18 teams.

"After that people said it was good and we started doing it once a month, rotating between different charities.

"We raise at least £600 every quiz night.

"We are trying to keep it to local charities, those that have affected people, like the air ambulance."

To keep its helicopters and rapid response vehicles running, the Wales Air Ambulance Charity needs to raise £11.2 million each year.

Kate Thomas, regional fundraising manager for Powys, said: "It’s wonderful to see Craig and his team achieve their goal of fundraising £10,000 for Wales Air Ambulance.

"On average it costs £3,000 per mission, so we are hugely grateful for his commitment and the support of locals in Knighton.

"It’s fundraisers like these that all add up to help us achieve our £11.2 million target each year."