A group of women from the One Stop shop in Markham have rallied together and raised over £3,000 for Velindre Cancer Centre, after a colleague was diagnosed with the disease last year.
Colleagues Emma Griffiths, 35, and Anne-Marie Evans, 43, were inspired to organise the ten-mile walk in order to raise money for fellow worker Kathryn Braddon, who also lost her partner Adrian to cancer last year.
A 13-strong group left the Markham One Stop shop early on the morning of Saturday September 17, aiming to walk a ten mile round route through Markham, Fleur-de-Lys, Penllwyn and Blackwood, before returning to their startpoint on Abernant Road, Markham.
Made up of One Stop colleagues, local residents, friends, and family, and armed with collection buckets, the group managed to raise nearly eight times their target.
Ms Evans said: “We have raised the fantastic amount of £3,120.56, considering our target at the start was only £400.
“We finished back at the Markham shop at around 2pm. It was a lovely day, and the support we have had from customers, family, and friends has been amazing.
“We also had great support from local businesses, who donated raffle prizes.”
Upon their arrival in Blackwood, the group were joined by the woman of the moment, Kathryn Braddon, 45, and her niece Olivia, aged ten.
Ms Braddon recently finished treatment for cancer, and thanked all those involved in the fundraiser, adding that “the tremendous amount of money will go to the Velindre Cancer Centre departments, which in the past two years have been a huge help with all of their support”.
Ms Evans said: “Due to the success of the fundraiser we have decided to make it an annual event for Velindre.”