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Three friends have raised more than £3,000 for Ty Hafan after they ran more than 62 miles each throughout January.

Oliver Phipps, Ben Owen, and Lewis Willetts, who all live in Machen, had initially set out to raise £100 but have now raised £3,185.

While being inspired by the work Ty Hafan does to provide palliative support to children in Wales, the boys were also keen to put their time away from school and sport to good use.

Lewis, 13, said: “During lockdown I was getting very bored and unfit as football training had stopped.

“While the running has benefited me personally, I have mainly done it to help children worse than me.”

Ben, 14, had never previously been into running, but after sport was cancelled, he needed something to stay active while also challenging himself.

He added: “It has been great to prove to myself that I can complete a challenge like this and help those who need it.”

The three had previously raised more than £1,100 for Ty Hafan by wearing shorts to primary school for an entire year.

Oliver, 14, said: “Having raised money for Ty Hafan before, this was another great chance to help them help children who are less fortunate than ourselves.”

Parents of the three boys told Caerphilly Observer: “We are so proud of our boys.

“They challenged themselves physically and mentally and not once did they complain about running, even in the snow – in fact they loved every minute of it.

“The local support has been incredible and we couldn’t be more pleased with raising so much money for Ty Hafan, a charity close to our hearts as it’s for children with short but full lives.  We thank everyone for their encouragement and support.”

Ty Hafan, based in Sully, near Penarth, is is one of the UK’s leading paediatric palliative care charities and offers care to children and support for their families throughout Wales.

The charity has supported more than 850 children since it opened in 1999, but has to raise around £4.5 million each year to provide its free services to families.

The money raised by Ollie, Ben and Lewis will go towards the charity’s ‘Fit for future’ refurbishment project.

James Davies-Hale, Supporter Care Manager at Ty Hafan, said: “We would like to say a big thank you to Lewis, Ben and Ollie for their amazing fundraising efforts.

“They have been a huge source of inspiration to all of us here at Ty Hafan and the wider community during these difficult times.

“We are very proud of them for completing their epic 100km challenge throughout January and raising over £3,000 to support our ‘Fit for Future’ refurbishment appeal so that we can continue to help children with life-limiting conditions and their families for the next 20 years and beyond.

“They really are our fundraising heroes.”

Ollie, Ben and Lewis’ fundraising page remains open for donations.