£16,000 and counting: Team Evans’ incredible fundraising for local NHS services

Having already raised over £16,000 for local NHS services, Team Evans, a group of family and friends from the Llanelli area, is planning even more fundraising events in 2024.

The team is fundraising in memory of Wayne Evans who sadly passed away last year.

Wayne fundraised passionately for the chemotherapy unit at Prince Philip Hospital as a thank you for the outstanding care he received following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He even completed the Wales 5k run at Long Course Weekend Wales in July 2023 with a team of over 60 family and friends.

Throughout 2023 and early 2024 Team Evans have been fundraising in all kinds of ways to support their local NHS charity.

In August, a group of 120 friends, former colleagues and supporters of Wayne took part in a 10-mile coastal run to raise funds for the chemotherapy day unit. Another group, N2S Cycle, biked from Llanelli to Bangor during the August bank holiday, raising over £3,000.

In September, Avril Powell, a Health Support Worker at the Day Surgery Unit at Prince Philip Hospital, ran the Llanelli 10k in support of the team.

In October 2023, Furnace United Rugby Football Club over 35s held a Wayne Evans memorial rugby game against the Llanelli Wanderers; SA15 Stage School in Llanelli performed “When Children Rule the World” and held an online raffle and auction, and photographer Byron Williams donated proceeds from his September sales.

More recently, Team Evans entered six runners in the 2024 Llanelli 10k, and in April, Samantha Lewis ran an amazing 14 marathons in 14 days, raising over £4,500.

Charlotte Evans, Wayne’s wife, said: “The support has been incredible. So many family members, friends, colleagues and NHS staff have joined us in raising funds for our local NHS as a thank you for their fantastic care.

“The team at the Prince Philip chemo unit are incredible and deserve as much recognition as possible.

“We hope the money raised will help make a positive difference to other cancer patients and their families. I know that would mean so much to Wayne.”

Events planned for 2024 include a charity ball, another cycle from north to south Wales, and Morgan Slate is taking part in Long Course Weekend Wales and Ironman 2024.

Diane Henry, Administrator at Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “We are overwhelmed by the ongoing support from Team Evans – they are so dedicated to giving something back to the service and helping others who are going through cancer treatment. We cannot thank them enough.

“The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

For more information on the upcoming Team Evans events, please contact Hywel Dda Health Charities by email at: Fundraising.HywelDda@wales.nhs.uk or by phone on 01267 239815.