A group of 20 fathers, uncles and family friends supported by Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice have announced their most ambitious fundraising challenge yet. They will attempt to climb the highest points across every single local authority in Wales over just four days, starting July 1, 2027.
The challenge details
The team will hike, climb and mountain bike a total ascent equal to scaling Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) seven times. Their journey begins in North Wales and concludes at the Tŷ Hafan hospice building in the Vale of Glamorgan. The group aims to raise tens of thousands of pounds to support young people with life-shortening conditions and their families.
Motivation from personal experience
Paul Fears, leader of the Tŷ Hafan Dads group, said: “This is possibly our most ambitious challenge to date and we’re already in training to achieve our goal. But we could not have better motivation because as the fathers, uncles and family friends of children with life-shortening conditions, we’ve all either benefited from support from Tŷ Hafan, or seen the impact of support provided up close.”
Fears added: “I’m doing this in memory of my son Greg, who we lost in 2023. However tough it gets for us, we know that the challenges we’re facing are nowhere near those faced by our children and others like them. So our goal is simple - to raise as much money as we can for Tŷ Hafan so more people can get help like we do.”
First-time participant shares his story
Jordan Mullins, from Quakers Yard, Merthyr Tydfil, said: “This will be my first challenge and I’m doing it for my son Bowden. It will be nice to give back to Tŷ Hafan and share the experience with other dads.”
Fundraising success so far
James Davies-Hale, Head of Fundraising for Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice, said: “This will be the fourth extreme challenge this group of Tŷ Hafan dads have taken on and they have raised more than £160,000 for the charity so far. Through their Catch22Peaks Challenge they now want to take that total over £200,000. We’re in awe of what these guys have achieved already and I would encourage everyone to get behind them to help them succeed.”
The group previously won a national fundraising award after climbing five of the highest peaks in the country in under 55 hours. They have since completed a series of grueling multi-sport treks across the region to support the charity.
How to support
The fundraising event will take place on July 1, 2027, across all 22 Welsh local authorities, ending at Tŷ Hafan in the Vale of Glamorgan. It is free to support. To find out more and to donate, visit the JustGiving campaign page.
