Macmillan veteran fundraiser takes on Gower Peninsula Mighty Hike

A long-serving Macmillan fundraising volunteer will be one of the first people to take on the 25-mile Gower Peninsula Mighty Hike on Saturday 10 July.

Mike Broomhall, 75, from Mayals in Swansea is the treasurer for the Macmillan Swansea Committee and is familiar with hiking challenges as for more than eleven years he was involved with organising the Gower Macmarathon.

The Gower Macmarathon was the original idea of the Macmillan Swansea Committee and ran between 1998 and 2019. The volunteer-led event which successfully ran for 22 years, raised more than £2million to help people in Wales living with cancer.

In 2019, the committee felt that to ensure a long-term sustainable future for the coastal hike that the Gower Macmarathon should come under the stewardship of Macmillan’s Mighty Hike suite of charity hikes.

Restrictions and limitations due to COVID-19, have meant that this year is the first year that Gower Peninsula Mighty Hike held.

The sold-out hike that starts at Penrice Castle offers two distances – a 25-mile hike and a 13-mile hike.

Speaking about taking on the brand-new Macmillan Mighty Hike challenge, Mike said: “Myself and another committee member Ian Williamson know the Gower Macmarathon route very well indeed. The view that I think will make people say “Wow!” is when they look down from Rhossilli Bay and see the miles of sandy beach tapering into the distance.

“If I were to offer advice to people taking on this challenge for the first time it would be just enjoy it! There’s great camaraderie, and on the day, you feel like you are part of one great family.”

Talking about his volunteering for Macmillan, Mike, said: ”There are a few reasons why I wanted to fundraise for Macmillan Cancer Support. My father died of cancer and like most people I have personal connections as I know family and friends who have been diagnosed with cancer.  In 2019, my daughter-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer and thanks to the brilliant treatment she received she has fully recovered. Macmillan supported her throughout her experience. Finally, the people on the committee are very persuasive too when it comes to encouraging others to volunteer!

Speaking about the Swansea Committee volunteers, Relationship Fundraising Manager Sue Reece, said: “This committee should be commended for their vision and dedication in running the highly successful Gower Macmarathon for all those years. The money the committee raised with this event is substantial and their fundraising has helped Macmillan to develop services to help people in the local community living with cancer.

If you would like to find out more about Macmillan’s Mighty Hike or volunteering for Macmillan to raise money to help people living with cancer, please visit the Macmillan Cancer Support website: www.macmillan.org.uk

The Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00 (open seven days a week) has specially trained nurses and cancer information specialists who can provide information and advice, as well as emotional support, to help people with cancer cope with the additional strain of the coronavirus pandemic.