Ascona Group

08/09/2026

Kids Get Cancer Too”

September 2026 is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Ascona Group are proud to support the campaign by Going Gold this month.

During this month we want to raise awareness of this vital cause to stand with every child and every family affected.


For more information and to get involved go to:
www.kidsgetcancertoo.co.uk

14/08/2026

There are still some Free entry tickets left. Send comment ‘YES 2026’ to get the final ones

We are again honoured to sponsor - LADIES DAY at FFOS LAS 2026

If you fancy a day at the FFOS LAS Races on Friday 21st August, then you have a chance to enter our FREE draw to be drawn on 6th August.

Just comment `2026 YES` and share post and we will randomly pick 100 lucky winners that will receive two tickets per entry.

This gives you FREE entry to the event. (please read terms and conditions below).

You can also enter the `Best Dressed` competition on the day if you so wish. See sponsors listed below.

12/08/2026

Rhossi the Sea Turtle’s Journey Home: Mission Complete for Ascona Group 🐢✈️

On Monay our CEO Darren Briggs, accompanied by his trusty co-pilot Gareth Abbott, flew endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle Rhossi from Anglesey to Denham Aerodrome in Bucks — the first stage of a 5,000-mile journey home for this now not-so-little turtle.

Two years ago, Rhossi was swept away on strong currents from the waters near Texas and washed up on an Anglesey beach, where he was discovered by a dog called Meg. He was tiny, cold-stunned and close to death. After more than two years of specialist care at Anglesey Sea Zoo Marine Conservation Centre, he's finally on his way home.

With incredible weather supporting this critical ‘mission not-impossible’, Darren helped carry Rhossi to his specially prepared transport crate before being smothered in Vaseline and KY Jelly to stop him drying out - Rhossi, not Darren! 😂

He then helped load him onto the Ascona Group helicopter and flew him and Frankie Hobro, owner of Anglesey Sea Zoo, safely to Denham Aerodrome, just five miles from Heathrow. With the help of Airpets Ltd, Frankie and the turtle then continued by road to Heathrow to board their cargo flight to Houston.

From Houston, Rhossi will continue his journey with the US conservation team, before the planned final stage of his adventure — his return to the wild in the Gulf of Mexico near Padre Island National Seashore on 18 August.

📺 Rhossi’s attracted a load of media interest and was on BBC yesterday and on the national ITV News this evening. Please watch retrospectively if you can.

And if you'd like to support the incredible work of Frankie and the team at Anglesey Sea Zoo, please give generously if you can. Both this trip and the Zoo's conservation work are funded through visitor spend, donations and voluntary support, and every contribution helps.

Support them here:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/anglesey-sea-zoo-turtle-rescue-facility

Safe travels, Rhossi. You're on your way home. 🐢💙

06/08/2026

SEVEN FINALIST NOMINATIONS. SIX SITES. ONE INCREDIBLE TEAM.

Awards are great, but what's even more rewarding is seeing our people recognised.

We're incredibly proud to have received seven finalist nominations in the Forecourt Trader Awards 2026 - widely regarded as the industry's most prestigious awards, recognising excellence in retailing, customer service and operational standards.

These nominations span multiple regions and a range of categories, reflecting the consistency and dedication of our teams across the UK.

Since founding Ascona in Pembrokeshire in 2011, we've always believed that growth should never come at the expense of standards. As we've expanded to 70 roadside destinations across Wales, England and Scotland, that philosophy has remained at the heart of everything we do.

Congratulations to every colleague whose commitment, professionalism and customer focus has helped make this achievement possible. Whatever happens on the glittering awards night in October, you've already made us incredibly proud.

Best of luck to our finalists:
🏆 Ascona Caersws in Mid Wales
🏆 Ascona Crossways and Ascona Green Garage in South Wales
🏆 Ascona Machynlleth Service Station in Mid Wales (two nominations)
🏆 Ascona Refinery Service Station in Scotland (two nominations)

06/08/2026

Next Monday, our CEO Darren Briggs will have one of the most unusual – and important – helicopter passengers of his career.

Darren’s a qualified pilot and, accompanied by co-pilot Gareth Abbott, will take to the skies on a very special mission to help return Rhossi, one of the world's rarest and most critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles, to his home in the Gulf of Mexico.

Of course, he’s not flying him all the way – just the first stage of an extraordinary 5,000-mile journey from Wales back to the warm waters off Padre Island after almost two years of rehabilitation at Anglesey Sea Zoo.

By volunteering an Ascona Group helicopter and his own time, Darren will fly Rhossi from Anglesey to Buckinghamshire, cutting around seven hours of road travel from the journey and reducing the time the turtle spends in his specialist transport crate before continuing to Heathrow and eventually Houston.
Every stage of this remarkable conservation mission has depended on people working together – from the moment Meg the black Labrador discovered Rhossi cold-stunned on a beach in Anglesey, to the incredible dedication of Frankie Hobro and her team at Anglesey Sea Zoo, and the conservation partners waiting to welcome him home in the United States.

Take a look at our montage to see Rhossi's remarkable journey – from tiny rescue turtle to "fit to fly" – and why Monday couldn't come soon enough. After two years of expert care, Rhossi has grown so much that his specially designed travel crate now only just fits inside the Ascona Aviation helicopter!

If you don't already follow Sea Zoo Marine Conservation Centre here on LinkedIn and its socials, please do. As an independent conservation charity, they rely on visitors, donations and public support to continue their incredible rescue, rehabilitation and conservation work.

Best of luck to Darren, Gareth and the rest of Team Turtle.
We'll be sharing updates as Rhossi begins his journey home, so please keep checking in.

30/07/2026

Final week before the draw only 7 days to go be it closes.

Comment "2026 YES" to enter and also share to all your friends.

27/07/2026

Last week, our Founder and CEO, Darren Briggs, had the honour of seeing the Ascona Group logo unveiled on the tail of one of the Wales Air Ambulance helicopters.

It's a proud moment for everyone connected with our business.

When we committed to raising £1 million for Wales Air Ambulance, we wanted to build a genuine partnership that would make a lasting difference.
Thanks to the incredible support of our colleagues, customers, suppliers and business partners, we've already raised more than £450,000.

More than £300,000 of that total has come through our partnership with Pennies, where customers have chosen to donate just 30p when paying by card or digital wallet. Every donation made at our Welsh sites is matched by Ascona, turning thousands of everyday purchases into lifesaving support.

As Darren said:

"Seeing the Ascona Group logo on the tail of one of the Wales Air Ambulance helicopters is an incredibly proud moment – it really is a badge of honour."

One comment from Phae Jones, Director of Income Generation at Wales Air Ambulance, meant a great deal to us:

"We don't place a company's logo on one of our helicopters lightly."

Those words perfectly capture what this partnership means. It's never simply been about putting our name on a helicopter. It's about supporting the people who fly it, the patients whose lives they save and the communities we're proud to serve.

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us so far. Together, we're helping Wales Air Ambulance continue its lifesaving work across Wales.



Darren Briggs, SHANE HIGGON, Catherine MacLeod, Dave Becket, Duncan Morris.

14/07/2026

We are again honoured to sponsor - LADIES DAY at FFOS LAS 2026

If you fancy a day at the FFOS LAS Races on Friday 21st August, then you have a chance to enter our FREE draw to be drawn on 6th August.

Just comment `2026 YES` and share post and we will randomly pick 100 lucky winners that will receive two tickets per entry.

This gives you FREE entry to the event. (please read terms and conditions below).

You can also enter the `Best Dressed` competition on the day if you so wish. See sponsors listed below.

08/07/2026

The countdown is on! We'll be publishing all the details soon—keep an eye out and be among the first to know.

02/07/2026

Ascona Group Accelerates UK Growth with Strategic Acquisition of Truckhaven (Carnforth) Ltd a major trunk road services area.

2 July 2026 - Pembrokeshire-based Ascona Group has completed the acquisition of Truckhaven (Carnforth) Ltd, further expanding its growing national portfolio to 70 sites and strengthening its position within the UK’s roadside retail services sector.

The acquisition represents another significant milestone in Ascona Group’s ambitious growth strategy, reinforcing the company’s commitment to investing in strategically located roadside retail assets that support both the commercial transport industry and the travelling public.

Truckhaven has long been recognised as an important trunk road destination strategically located on junction 35 of the M6, the 17 acre site comprises of an Esso branded filling station with its own detached forecourt retail shop which trades 24/7 – further facilities include overnight parking for 245 lorries, an amenity building housing an extensive restaurant, showering facility, retail shop, licensed bar, launderette and a 26 en-suite bedroom hotel providing respite to customers.

Darren Briggs, Founder and CEO of Ascona Group, commented “We are delighted to complete the acquisition of Truckhaven. This is an exciting addition to our growing portfolio and reflects our confidence in the long-term opportunities within the UK’s roadside services market".

Our ambition is to build on Truckhaven’s strong reputation by investing in the site, enhancing the customer retail experience and creating a first-class destination for drivers and visitors alike. We have ambitious plans for the site. We intend to improve the forecourt facilities with a brand new retail shop offering and for the HGV’s a brand new state of the artwork truck wash in the coming months.

Ascona Group has established a reputation as one of the UK’s most acquisitive independent forecourt operators, continuing to invest across fuel retail, convenience, food-to-go and roadside retail services. The addition of Truckhaven further broadens the Group’s presence in a strategically important segment of the market.

Ascona Group continues to actively evaluate further acquisition opportunities throughout the UK as it pursues its long-term vision of building one of the country’s leading independent roadside retail and services businesses.

Having originally developed the Truckhaven site at Carnforth in the early 90’s, Michael Jelley of Stonplan said “We are confident that Ascona are the right people to take the site forward as the industry develops. They inherit a robust business that has prioritised the provision of high-quality facilities for the haulage industry, along with an outstanding operational team”.

Legal work was undertaken by Simmons & Simmons for Ascona Group and Keystone Law for Truckhaven (Carnforth) Ltd.