A Bargoed woman who has raised £30,000 for charity is set to ‘retire’ from fundraising.
Glenys Old, 88 has been raising money for childrens’ hospice Ty Hafan since it was set up in 1999.
On Tuesday, June 4, Ty Hafan threw a party for Mrs Old during National Volunteers Week to thank her for her service.
Mrs Old said: “Every penny I’ve raised has come from my house. I put a stall out the front and people pass for a browse and that’s when many a person will say I don’t want anything, but leave a pound on the table anyway.
“I put balloons, banners, posters and a welcome sign up outside my house.
“It’s an enjoyable day from 8am because I get all the neighbours’ tables and chairs to put out the front and everyone gets involved.
“Even after we’ve packed away, we all have drink and food in the house and the last people don’t go till 11pm – But they make sure they wash up before they go.”
Mrs Old added: “When my husband passed away, one piece of advice I was given by friends and will always remember, was to ‘say no to nothing’ and I thought that’s it – pick yourself up and do something worthwhile.
“I’ve loved every minute of my work with Ty Hafan.”
During her 20 years of fundraising, Mrs Old’s highlights include meeting Prince Charles last year, as well as meeting Ty Hafan founder Suzanne Goodall on numerous occasions.
Explaining why she chose to volunteer for the charity, Mrs Old said: “I’ve always helped a charity – it’s just my nature. I love company and people coming back and forth.
“But the reason I’ve chosen Ty Hafan is because it’s about children. I feel for the families and they need the support.
“I’d say to anyone thinking of volunteering to just do it. You’ll get the best out of it.
Mrs Old, who is a member of Gilfach Dance Club, said she couldn’t have raised so much without the support of the community.
“In the dance club we don’t send each other Christmas cards, we all make a donation to Ty Hafan instead. They’ve supported me a lot.
“All the support I had motivated me to keep raising money.
Helen Morgan, Senior Community Fundraiser at Ty Hafan, said: “Our volunteers are integral to our operations and are supporting us in so many different ways. These incredible people work tirelessly to help enable Ty Hafan to continue taking care of Welsh children and their families.
“Glenys is an inspirational lady in so many ways and we are incredibly grateful to have had her support for all of these years. While we’re sad that we’ll no longer get to hear about her wonderful fundraising activities, she’ll always be remembered for her work and the amount of money she raised, especially with her name engraved on our treasured Ty Hafan Gift Tree.”