Sully Children’s Hospice celebrates after ‘phenomenal’ fundraising campaign:
The Sully children’s hospice Tŷ Hafan is celebrating after a massively successful fundraising fortnight.
It all began with an ambitious plan to raise £250,000 in under a week with the #WhenYourWorldStops fundraising appeal. This appeal exceeded expectation by raising £342,922 in just 60 hours.
This was followed on Tuesday, 6th December, by the charity’s Christmas 2022 fundraising concert which featured leading Welsh entertainers including It’s a Sin star Callum Scott Howells and Steve Speirs of The Tuckers at a sold-out St David’s Hall in Cardff.
Maria Timon Samra, chief executive of Tŷ Hafan, said: “Following a very challenging couple of years, it has been a phenomenal couple of weeks for the charity. First our #WhenYourWorldStops fundraising appeal raised an incredible £342,922, almost £80,000 more than our original target.
“And just one week later our ‘Christmas with Treorchy Male Voice Choir and Callum Scott Howells’ fundraising concert played to a capacity audience of 1,600 people who enjoyed outstanding performances by Callum, Treorchy and St John’s College Cardiff Choir, hosted by the inimitable Steve Speirs.
“Times are very difficult for so many people these days and the kindness, generosity and goodwill shown to Tŷ Hafan and the children and families we support has been absolutely overwhelming.
“I must also pay tribute to two families who have helped us to achieve these phenomenal results from these events, both of which were at a scale never previously attempted.
“As the face of our #WhenYourWorldStops appeal, the Jeans family were incredibly brave, sharing the story of their beautiful daughter Rose, who died at the hospice just two days after her first birthday. Then Kerry Spence, also very bravely, shared her family’s story live on stage at St David’s Hall to an audience of thousands.”
Funds raised by both events will go towards the £5.2m it costs us every year to provide care and support for children with life-shortening conditions and their families in Wales, both at the hospice in Sully, and in homes and communities across the country.
Callum Scott Howells, who sang hits both solo and with the choir, including ‘Beautiful City’, and ‘O Holy Night’, said: “It was such a privilege to be able to sing alongside Treorchy Male Voice Choir in aid of such an important Welsh charity.”
Treorchy born Callum, 23, whose late grandfather, Bryn, was a lifelong member of the celebrated choir, added: “And I am also so happy to have played a part in giving a Welsh audience a great night!”
Actor, writer and director Steve Speirs, concert host, said: “I was thrilled to be part of a truly memorable Christmas concert and to welcome such incredible talent to the stage.”
Stewart Roberts, musical director of Treorchy Male Voice Choir: “This concert further strengthened our close links with Tŷ Hafan and we hope to do the same for the charity next year!”
Tŷ Hafan’s #WhenYourWorldStops intensive match-funded fundraising campaign, which ran from 10am Sunday 27th November to 10pm on Tuesday 29th November, was a first for the 23-year-old charity.
The campaign was fronted by Cefn Hengoed family Catherine and Andrew Jeans and their nine-year-old son Oliver. Oliver’s beloved little sister Rose was diagnosed with an incurable cancer and died at Tŷ Hafan’s hospice in Sully on 13th February 2020, just two days after her first birthday.
Andrew Jeans said: “The work that Tŷ Hafan does – you really can’t explain it – how they are able to support so many families like ourselves. So, when we were asked if we would like to be the face the #WhenYourWorldStops campaign and to use our story, for us, it was a no-brainer. As difficult as it was talk about these things and to bring these things back up, we knew that it would have an impact on the hospice.
“We just can’t thank people enough for their generosity. It has blown us away the amount of money that was raised – £340,000 in three days is just exceptional.”
To donate to the #WhenYourWorldStops campaign, go to here.
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