Just five miles to go for nurse pair on charity coastal walk challenge

A big cheer for two of Bronglais Hospital’s most senior cancer nurses, who have nearly completed their 85-mile coastal walk challenge to raise money for the Bronglais Chemo Appeal.

Nurse Specialists Rhian Jones and Eirian Gravell split the mammoth walk into eight stretches between Llwyngwril in Gwynedd and Cardigan in Ceredigion, which they have pledged to complete together in the month of June.

They walked more than 40 miles in the first week of June, from Cardigan to Aberporth, Aberporth to New Quay and New Quay to Llanrhystud. Then last week the plucky pair did another 40-mile chunk, from Llanrhystud to Aberystwyth, Llwyngwril to Aberdyfi, Aberdyfi to

Machynlleth and Machynlleth to Borth.

Rhian and Eirian are now having a rest until they complete the final five-miler on Saturday 25^th June, when they will be joined by dozens of supporters, walking from Borth with a finish at Aberystwyth Bandstand.

The duo has been joined on some of the walks by Rhian’s husband Dafydd and Eirian’s husband Huw, who have been a huge support.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Eirian said: “Our husbands have been amazing. We have had some great days walking. The stretch from Aberporth to New Quay was particularly hard with a few steep parts but we have laughed a lot and we are still going strong.

“We are appreciating our beautiful countryside and how lucky we are.”

Specialist Haematology Nurse Rhian added: “This part of the coastline has many challenging stretches and we are way outside our comfort zone. On some days we have been walking up to 15 miles! But we both work on the chemotherapy day unit and wanted to do something to help with the Appeal.”

The pair have set themselves a £2,000 fundraising target and are fitting their coastal walking in around their hospital working hours.

Their fundraising page is here: https://hyweldda.enthuse.com/pf/rhianeirian-6b785

Rhian and Eirian are thrilled that dozens of members of the public have signed up to join them for the last stretch of the walk on 25^th June.

They said: “It’s fantastic that some of our patients, their family and friends, and others are joining us for the final stretch of the walk from Borth on 25^th June. We leave Borth at 11am and should be arriving at Aberystwyth Bandstand between 2pm and 3pm.”

For the latest updates on Rhian and Eirian’s challenge and on the 25^th June coastal walk please follow the charity on Facebook (@HywelDdaHealthCharities), Twitter (@HywelDdaCharity) or Instagram (@HywelDdaCharities).

For further information on the Bronglais Chemo Appeal, which is aiming to raise the final £500,000 needed for construction to start on a new, purpose-built chemotherapy day unit for Bronglais Hospital, go to: www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk