February’s Fundraising Wrap Up
Velindre’s incredible fundraisers haven’t let February’s bad weather dampen their spirits. This month, we’ve seen them take part in all kinds of exciting activities. From Wear Red for Wales and Velindre, to trampolining, dancing, quiz nights and raffles, our supporters have been busy again! Let’s look at some of their amazing efforts below…
Elin Rodriguez took on a new challenge a month!
In 2024, Elin Rodriguez embarked on the exciting journey of completing monthly challenges to raise money for Velindre. Elin’s enthusiasm and commitment led her to raise an impressive £530 for Velindre and £530 for another charity!
Elin talked about her motivations for fundraising for Velindre: “My Gramps died of cancer when I was a toddler and I am still feeling sad that we both missed the opportunity to properly meet each other. I want to raise all the money I can to try and help reduce this from happening to other families.”
Elin’s challenges spanned from March to December last year and included activities like trampolining, practising the clarinet, cycling, walking the dog, jumping in the pool, dancing, reading, stretching and doing Joe Wicks exercises. Her year-long fundraiser concluded in December with singing every day—warming up her vocal chords just in time for Christmas carols!
Elin said: “My favourite challenges were swimming in an outside pool or the sea and playing the clarinet and singing every day. I found the fitness challenges the trickiest as I had to find the time around all my activities to fit this in. I just kept reminding myself that each penny can make a huge difference!”
We were blown away by Elin’s energy and her dedication to completing each new challenge in aid of Velindre! Well done Elin, you’re amazing!
Visit Elin’s JustGiving page here.
Grow with Kieron supports Velindre: a community effort with heart
The community at Grow with Kieron have raised an incredible £5,285.27 in aid of Velindre! The Grow with Kieron slimmers have come together week after week to take part in raffles, bonus balls and a fantastic charity night. Each member, many of whom have been touched by the care and dedication of those at Velindre, has shown kindness and generosity that will make a real difference!
Kieron lost his dad, Michael Gough, to lung cancer in 2018 and said: “No one can ever prepare you for the shock that comes with a diagnosis like that. As a family, we were thrown into a world we never expected to be part of, filled with uncertainty, fear and the unknown. I still remember taking Dad for his first treatment at Velindre, sitting in the waiting room, not knowing what lay ahead but feeling reassured by the kindness and support of everyone there.
Throughout his treatment, he often spoke about how much he was helped, not just in medical care but in the warmth and compassion of the staff. That support made an unbearable time just a little easier, and for that, I will always be grateful.”
Kieron also thanked Jan Collins whose passion and energy have been instrumental in keeping the group’s fundraising efforts alive. We were excited to meet Kieron, Jan, Angela and Cullen who visited Velindre this month to present this incredibly generous donation.
A truly massive well done to the group! It’s a real testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together—even the smallest efforts can have a big impact to everyone who relies on Velindre’s care.
Chris and Martin held a Christmas quiz and raffle!
Every year, Chris and Martin organise a Christmas quiz and raffle to raise funds for their nominated charity and last year, they chose Velindre! The quiz and raffle, held on 13th December 2024, were a huge success and raised an amazing £1,407 in aid of Velindre.
Chris and Martin spoke about their motivations to fundraise for us: “Many of our family, friends and colleagues have been affected by cancer and have received (or are currently receiving) treatment from Velindre, which is why we felt it would be good to raise money for your amazing charity!”
Visit Chris and Martin’s JustGiving page here.
Wear Red for Wales and Velindre day!
On Friday 31st January 2025, our annual Wear Red for Wales and Velindre campaign returned! Our incredible supporters came together in a sea of red in schools, gyms and businesses to show their support and raise awareness for Velindre and its essential services. We were also thrilled to see the highest ever number of staff take part in this year’s campaign. On the day, our surprise guest, Velindre Charity President, Jonathan ‘Jiffy’ Davies, visited Velindre and spent time chatting to patients and staff around the hospital. This year’s event, which was generously sponsored by Peter’s Pies, saw some fantastic fundraising activities, which you can read more about below.
You can also read about the day in more detail in last month’s blog post.
We want to thank every single one of you who joined us in wearing red and showing your support for Velindre! Every pound makes a difference!
Central Roofing South Wales wear a splash of red!
The team at CRSW kickstarted their year of fundraising for Velindre with a splash of red! All employees across the offices and work sites showed their support for Velindre by wearing red and raising a total of £160! Velindre is a charity close to the hearts of many staff members at CRSW and we are proud to have them as part of #TeamVelindre.
They have also announced Velindre as their official Charity of the Year for their Bridgend & Carmarthen offices and we can’t wait to see their plans for the rest of 2025!
Rick Rigby, Managing Director at Central Roofing South Wales said: “At Central Roofing, we are incredibly proud to have Velindre Cancer Charity as our charity partner for 2025. The care, support, and dedication of their staff is truly life-changing, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the impact they make on so many families. Our goal is to raise vital funds and offer support to help Velindre continue providing exceptional care to those who need it most.”
Pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Gwyddon got creative!
The pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Gwyddon came up with a creative new way to celebrate Wear Red for Wales and Velindre day this year. To say “Diolch Velindre”, pupils created meaningful works of art to display at the new cancer centre. These wonderful paintings will bring happiness, joy and hope to patients, families and staff at Velindre. A huge thank you to all the staff and pupils who took part!
Edwards Coaches celebrated Wear Red for Wales and Velindre day
Our ongoing supporters, Edwards Coaches, celebrated Wear Red for Wales and Velindre day this year by donning their red t-shirts and taking part in charity quizzes to fundraise for Velindre. We are also incredibly proud to announce that the company, who are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, have chosen us as their 2025 Charity of the Year!
Edwards Coaches have donated transport to every overseas event we’ve ever done and we’re incredibly thankful for their ongoing support. Staff and customers have already raised an incredible £1500 throughout the month of January and we can’t wait to see what they get up to next! A massive thank you to the whole team and all the customers who’ve generously donated to Velindre!
NFU Mutual Bridgend and Swansea completed 40 miles in January
Our dedicated supporters, NFU Mutual Bridgend & Swansea, completed their mammoth fundraiser last month in aid of Velindre with each staff member taking on the challenge of walking or running 40 miles throughout January. The challenge wrapped up on 31st January, coinciding with Wear Red for Wales and Velindre day. The team finished their challenge with one last climb up the Garth Mountain and collectively raised an incredible £1,795 for Velindre! A massive well done to the team!
Julian Kelly, Senior Agent and Ambassador for Velindre said: “Velindre Cancer Centre is very close to our hearts here in the NFU Mutual Bridgend & Swansea Agency, so it is important for us to help raise funds for this remarkable cause. We would like to extend a big thank you to NFU Mutual Community Champions Scheme for their generosity in supporting our challenge.”
Visit the team’s JustGiving page here.
How your fundraising makes a difference
Thanks to the unwavering support of our incredible fundraisers, we can fund a range of vital supportive care services for our patients and their families.
Your contributions fund services like Velindre’s dedicated complementary therapies team. Cancer diagnosis and treatment can take a huge toll on patients’ mental and physical wellbeing. Thanks to our complementary therapies team, patients can access holistic treatments like aromatherapy, reflexology and reiki at their bedside or in an onsite therapy room. These therapies not only help to alleviate anxiety and physical symptoms but can provide a comforting and restorative respite from the medical nature of cancer treatment.
This is just one incredible example of the supportive care services that help our patients and their families with the wide-reaching impacts of a cancer diagnosis.
Thank you!
We want to say a heartfelt thank you to our amazing fundraisers! Without you, we couldn’t fund these essential services here at Velindre. Your dedication and enthusiasm this month have been truly inspiring and we can’t wait for March! Thank you for being part of #TeamVelindre!
