CHARITIES BACK A ‘GRAND WEEK IN WALES’ TO HELP THOSE MOST IN NEED

Charities across Wales are joining forces THIS WEEK to help support a week-long community event that raises money to help the most vulnerable in Wales.

Marie Curie, FareShare and Adferiad Recovery are among a number of charitable organisations endorsing a Grand Week in Wales, a celebration of Wales and St David’s Day that helps support themin the fight against food and fuel poverty, isolation and loneliness.

Here’s a video detailing the week: 

A Grand Week in Wales (GWIW) is a national fundraising initiative set up by the North Wales-based social enterprise Nanny Biscuit. The event is based on a series of community challenges that include walking, running, litter-picking and baking. This year, a Grand Week in Wales takes place from 22 February to St David’s Day, 1 March.

The money raised through the GWIW challenges is distributed across partner community organisations to help with a number of good causes across Wales.  As well as fundraising to combat food poverty, isolation and loneliness, the event aims to raise money to help organisations working with mental health and addiction, domestic violence and environmental issues across Wales.

A Grand Week in Wales was set up by army veteran James Hunt, the founder of Nanny Biscuit, a social enterprise that aims to boost community spirit and promote good mental and physical health. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, a core team of volunteers at the social enterprise channelled its efforts into providing emergency shopping and distributing subsidised food parcels to the vulnerable and homeless, covering an area that included Wrexham, Denbighshire and Flintshire.

“The challenges of the past few years have highlighted just how many people are vulnerable and are in need of support,” said James, who lives in Deeside.

“Our aim is to help key charities that support the most vulnerable in our communities across Wales and to bring people together through fundraising events, to combat isolation and spread positivity in a time when we need it most.”

Last year’s inaugural event drew engagement from across Wales with celebrity, sports personality, big business and Welsh Government endorsement and national press coverage.

“We were able to provide 44,000 meals to those in need in North East Wales thanks to our collaboration with MoneySuperMarket and Bytes,” James added.

One of the charity partners of the week-long event is the mental health and substance misuse service company, Adferiad Recovery. Lisa Williams, Director of Business Development and Fundraising at Adferiad said: “We are thrilled to be involved in this year’s Grand Week in Wales and are extremely thankful to Nanny Biscuit for choosing Adferiad Recovery as one of the beneficiaries of the funds raised by the event.

“As a Wales-wide charity that is extremely proud of its Welsh heritage, we can’t think of a better event to be a part of to help celebrate the best of Wales and to raise money for some fantastic causes that work hard every day to support some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.”

The team behind a GWIW is urging the public in Wales to get on-board and isVactively targeting groups such as schools and scouts. It has already sent outVpromotional packs outlining how they can get involved and is also organising a large social media campaign across all platforms.

Throughout a Grand Week in Wales there will be multiple, socially-distanced and safe activities based around the number 1,000, which represents the circumference of Wales.

As well as raising funds for charity, a GWIW also aims to engage, inspire and uplift the communities it seeks to help.

People are being encouraged to take part in one or more of the eight activity categories that include: collectively running, walking, cycling or swimming a distance equivalent to the 1,000 miles of Welsh coastline; the creation of 1,000 art daffodils; the baking and selling of 1,000 Welsh cakes for partnership charities and the collection of 1,000 bags of litter.

Charities that have already offered their support and who will benefit from funds raised include the terminal illness support charity Marie Curie and the volunteer courier service Briciau Gwaed Cymru/Blood Bikes Wales. Participants from Briciau Gwaed Cymru/Blood Bikes Wales will be volunteering for 1,000 hours during a GWIW and riding 1,000 miles.

A spokesperson from Marie Curie said they were thrilled to be one of a Grand Week in Wales’ chosen charities: “We hope to raise much-needed funds to support those affected by terminal illness alongside many other important causes.

“We are especially excited to see 1,000 art daffodils popping up all over Wales and raising awareness of our services.”

The Yellow and Blue organisation (YaB) which helps build stronger and more socially inclusive communities for those with learning disabilities, is also one of the partnership charities.

As part of fundraising efforts, members of the Wrexham town centre hub YaB will be taking part in an all-day pianothon on 26 February, continuously playing the piano for 1,000 minutes.

The hunger-fighting charity FareShare and the animal welfare and environmental conservation charity Green Paw Project are also among the partnership charities who will benefit.

A spokesperson from Green Paw Project said: “We are over the moon about being involved with A Grand Week in Wales. Such a great all-involving community event. We really see the future of A Grand Week in Wales being one of biggest Welsh national events of the year.”