A rare piece of Welsh agricultural history will feature in a charity tractor run around the picturesque Vale of Clwyd.<\/p>\n
Among those taking part in the fundraiser on Sunday, June 7, will be Iorwerth Roberts, former head of sales in Corwen for Ifor Williams Trailers.<\/p>\n
On the day, Iorwerth, who worked for the trailer firm for 40 years before retiring in 2020, will be towing a trailer which dates back to the 1960s.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s understood to be only three or four of its kind ever made by the world famous firm and was left in a field covered in brambles before it was given to Iorwerth and restored.<\/p>\n
The Vale of Clwyd Tractor Run, which leaves at 10am from Ruthin Farmers Auction will be raising money for the Blood Bikes Wales charity, with funds being boosted by a donation of\u00a0 \u00a35,000 from Ifor Williams Trailers.<\/p>\n
The 74-year-old grandfather, who still uses the historic trailer regularly on his smallholding at Gwyddelwern was delighted to taking part for the first time.<\/p>\n
Iorwerth said: \u201cSometime in the early to mid-1960s, Ifor Williams did a very small run of agricultural tipper trailers with drop sides.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe they only did maybe half a dozen of this particular model, perhaps less, possibly only three or four, they are hugely rare.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis one was used around the factory at Cynwyd just to carry scrap and rubbish and keep the factory tidy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I joined in the 1980s the trailer wasn\u2019t being used at the time and was left in a nearby field.<\/p>\n
Iorwerth took the trailer to smithy John Lloyd in Bryn Saith Marchog near Corwen for repair and renovation work and carried out more restoration work himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have had the trailer for at least 35 years now and it has served me well and is in constant use on the smallholding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He will be using a 1984 Case 1394 tractor, which itself is now a fairly rare vehicle, to pull the trailer.<\/p>\n
Merfyn Parry, Denbighshire County Councillor for the Llandyrnog ward and one of the tractor run organisers, said he hoped the event would raise a huge sum for Blood Bikes Wales.<\/p>\n
The biking charity\u2019s volunteers provide a free courier service to the NHS, delivering blood samples, donated human milk and essential equipment to hospitals all over Wales.<\/p>\n
Over 100 tractors and Land Rovers are expected to take part in the annual event, which has been going for 18 years an usually raises between \u00a34,000 and \u00a36,000.<\/p>\n
Merfyn said: \u201cWe\u2019re bowled over by the generosity of Ifor Williams Trailers and are truly grateful for their contribution which will hopefully help us raise a record amount for this vital charity this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTractors come mainly from the local area but we do get some arriving on trailers from further away, Anglesey for example, and we have had some come from Preston in Lancashire.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of vintage tractors out there and it gets them out and about and it is quite a social day.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe pick somewhere where we can stop halfway to have a picnic and people bring their own lunch and this time we are stopping at Rhug Estate in Corwen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe run is no more than 30 miles and the exact route will be announced on our Facebook page nearer the date.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout four or five days before we go we will let the villagers know that we will be going through.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is out of courtesy because we tend to hold traffic up and also to let them know when they can see the tractors.\u201d<\/p>\n
With each tractor and Land Rover paying \u00a315 each to take part, Mervyn said the group of organisers choose each year which good cause to support.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIt is a real team effort by all the organisers and we have raised money for various different good causes including Wales Air Ambulance, the Awyr Las cancer charity, the orthopaedic hospital in Gobowen, the DPJ Foundation, and Hope House Ty Gobaith.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlood Bikes came up this year because sadly they lost one of their riders who was killed in a collision last year and that highlighted the charity to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said a QR code was available for donations on the group\u2019s Facebook page and donations could also be made at www.givewheel.com\/fundraising\/12310\/vale-of-clwyd-tractor-run-2026\/<\/a><\/p>\n Huw Williams, from Ruthin, is a volunteer with Blood Bikes Wales and thanked the tractor run organisers for choosing to support the charity this year.<\/p>\n The retired IT worker, who has been riding for the charity for about two years, said: \u201cWhat we do is all voluntary and all free of charge to the NHS, and we also give our time for free to fundraise for the bikes and pay for the petrol.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are very glad the tractor run has chosen our charity and very grateful.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need \u00a3250,000 every year to run the Blood Bikes Wales service and we have 350 riders and 30 motorbikes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do the ad-hoc and out-of-hours stuff.<\/p>\n \u201cFor example about six weeks ago Glan Clwyd Hospital needed a filter for an incubator and they didn\u2019t have one in stock but there were spare filters over in Liverpool so I went there on the Blood Bike to pick one up and get it to Glan Clwyd.<\/p>\n Dave Robinson, Group Head of Commercial Operations at Ifor Williams Trailers, was pleased one of the company’s rarest trailers would be taking part.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cIorwerth\u2019s trailer is a real piece of Ifor Williams Trailers history and it\u2019s wonderful it is still in use.<\/p>\n \u201cThat shows the quality of the trailers the company has produced throughout its history.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it is terrific that the trailer is being towed by Iorwerth who spent 40 years with the company and was a hugely respected colleague.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope the tractor run raises as much money as possible for Blood Bikes Wales which is such a good cause.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0To make a donation go to: <\/strong>www.givewheel.com\/fundraising\/12310\/vale-of-clwyd-tractor-run-2026\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n