A GROUP of Tŷ Hafan dads were amongst 200 intrepid fundraisers to complete the GE Aviation Wales Welsh3peaks challenge, which turned into the 2peaks challenge due to the unpredictable Welsh weather, in less than 10 hours on Saturday, June 15.

The event, which has raised more than £1.25m for Tŷ Hafan since its launch in 1998, saw participants tackle the mighty Cadair Idris before moving down to South Wales, where they then scaled Pen y Fan covering a total distance of 12.35 miles and - 5837ft, Unfortunately due to the severe weather conditions, the decision was made not to climb Snowdon to ensure the safety of all our participants. Amongst those taking part were Bradley Watson, Angelo Pucella, Gary Footman, Matthew Smith, Hywel Tyler and Andrew Davies, who all share the experience of being supported by Tŷ Hafan.

Matthew Smiths’ four -year-old son, Lewis, suffers from Tuberous Sclerosis and was referred to Tŷ Hafan over three years. “It was a huge challenge but I’m so pleased we did it,” said Matthew, of Llantwit Fadre . ”We are all exhausted now but are so proud of what we’ve achieved. It has been a great way to show our appreciation for the amazing team at Tŷ Hafan and we’ll be continuing with our fundraising efforts over the coming months.”

Tŷ Hafan Play Worker, Paul Fisher, who led the dads’ team for the second year in a row, said: “The guys had a really enjoyable couple of days,although it was tough, it was also a worthwhile experience for the dads who all share a strong common bond and are able to talk about their particular experiences in caring for their life-limited children.”

The GE Aviation Wales sponsored event helps Tŷ Hafan provide care and support for the increasing number of life-limited children, young people and their families from across Wales being referred to its services.

On supporting the Welsh3peaks challenge, Mike Patton, Managing Director of GE Aviation Wales said: “We are proud to be able to support the Welsh3peaks challenge. Tŷ Hafan is a fantastic organisation which provides an extremely important service to the local community and we are pleased that we are able to show our support for the hospice and the work it does with families. "The atmosphere on the day was fantastic and everyone was in great spirits, from the GE volunteers to the teams taking part. It was great to see so many people from across South Wales coming together to raise money for such an important cause.”