Charity

Sanna wins Wales Air Ambulance place for the world’s toughest mountain race

Published

3 years ago

February 19, 2023

A PEMBROKESHIRE woman has been picked to represent the Wales Air Ambulance at one of the world’s toughest mountain races.

Sanna Duthie, 35, of Milford Haven, beat off stiff competition to win the Montane Dragon’s Back Race charity place, which covers 236 miles of Wales’ uniquely wild, trackless, and remote mountainous terrain.

The event will see competitors run the equivalent of 1.5 marathons every day in six days, starting from Conwy Castle and finishing at Cardiff Castle from Monday 4 September to Saturday 9 September 2023.

Ultra-runner Sanna impressed the judging panel with her passion and dedication and is the first female athlete to win a Wales Air Ambulance charity place for the gruelling race.

The panel consisted of Wales Air Ambulance’s Events and Partnership Fundraiser, Tracey Ann Breese, Campaigns Manager Katie Macro and last year’s charity-place winner, Richard Gardiner.

Sanna, who works in office administration, said it had been her ambition to enter the Montane Dragon’s Back Race, but the £1,599 entry fee had financially held her back.

She said: “As a proud Welsh runner, the race has been on my radar for many years, I know several people who have taken part which has only fuelled my desire to do it. I work in office administration full time and the entry fee was just too much for me sadly.
“To spend a week running on the mountains in Wales is the best holiday I can imagine, the thought of being out on the mountains for days sounds so freeing. To be given the chance to take part in the Dragon’s Back Race is a dream come true.

“To be the first female to win the charity place is amazing. We need more female ultra-runners. Women are so strong mentally, and this challenge will require me to dig deep. It’s an honour to be chosen and it has given me a big boost mentally, as well as the drive to train even harder.”

Sanna has been Ultra-running since 2015 and has won a plethora of races. These include the Gower Ultra, GB Ultra Beacon, The North Canum, Dirty Dozen Back Yard Ultra and the Preseli Ultra-beast 2022 which she won and set a new female record.

The athlete has committed to raising a minimum of £2,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance and hopes to promote her journey on social media and through a podcast.

Sanna is no stranger to fundraising for the Charity having raised nearly £5,000 in 2021 by running the entire Pembrokeshire Coast Path, an incredible 186 miles, all in one go. Not only did Sanna complete the challenge, but she also achieved the fastest known time of 51 hours and 30 minutes – with no sleep and the only stops being to refuel.

She said: “We were just coming out of lockdown and I managed to fulfil my dream of running the entire 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path. It was probably the best weekend of my life.

“As a result of that I appeared on radio shows in Wales and was interviewed on lots of running podcasts and I did some talks at the local schools. I even got asked to join the judging panel for last year’s Wales Air Ambulance Dragon’s Back Race.

“I asked for sponsorship and managed to raise just under £5,000 for Welsh Air Ambulance which is a cause I feel very strongly about. The service is very active in our community. Pembrokeshire is quite rural and road links are not great. It is a charity that people in our county care about and want to support.”

Sanna said to complete the Montane Dragon’s Back Race would be a life goal and that she already has a training plan in place for the race.

She said: “It gives me butterflies just thinking of it. It really will be a dream come true and to be able to do it and raise money for the Wales Air Ambulance really makes it extra special.

“I would say that I am an emotional person, this can often be seen as a bad quality, but I think it makes me a good ultra-runner. I help and support people and it also means that when I set a goal, I give it my all. I really hope I won’t let you down.”

The Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £8 million every year to keep its helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.

It offers advanced critical care across Wales which is delivered via a unique Third Sector and Public Sector partnership between the Wales Air Ambulance Charity and the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS Cymru).

As a result, the service is consultant-led and is known as a ‘flying emergency department’, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient at the scene of an incident. This includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.

Tracey Ann Breese, Wales Air Ambulance’s Events and Partnership Fundraiser, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to offer Sanna a place at this year’s Montane Dragon’s Back Race. It was clear from her application that she is totally committed to running and being able to complete the race, both as a personal goal and to fundraise for Wales Air Ambulance.

“We received a number of strong entries and we would like to thank everyone for sending their videos to us. I am looking forward to seeing and being able to support Sanna’s journey and am truly grateful that she has chosen to support our Charity for the second time.”

To support Sanna visit her Just Giving page, https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sanna-duthie3

Charity

Sea shanties and street food bring crowds to Cardigan RNLI festival

Published

2 days ago

June 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SUNSHINE, sea shanties and street food helped draw hundreds of visitors to Cardigan RNLI Lifeboat Station on Saturday (Jun 20).

The station’s Sea Shanty and Street Food Festival brought together families, supporters and visitors from across the region for a day of maritime music, food and community spirit.

Traditional sea shanty groups performed throughout the event, with songs echoing around the lifeboat station, while street food vendors served a range of refreshments.

The event also gave visitors the chance to learn more about the lifesaving work carried out by the RNLI and its volunteer crews.

Cardigan RNLI thanked the performers, food vendors, volunteers, sponsors and supporters who helped make the day a success.

Bruce Harris, Launch Authority and event organiser, said: “It was wonderful to see so many people come together to support the station, enjoy the entertainment, and celebrate our maritime heritage.

“The atmosphere throughout the day was fantastic, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, performed, volunteered, and contributed to such a memorable event.”

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts.

The charity operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands.

Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved more than 146,700 lives.

Charity

Mum takes on half marathon to give back to NHS

Published

2 days ago

June 22, 2026

Cerys Lafferty

KATE DAVIES is taking on the Wales Half Marathon to say thank you to the NHS services that supported her during a difficult time.

Kate, a mother of one who works in operational workforce at Withybush Hospital, is heading to Tenby on June 28 to take on the Wales Half Marathon at Long Course Weekend Wales to raise funds for Cilgerran Ward at Glangwili Hospital.

Having been in good health for much of her life, Kate has been fortunate to not need many Hywel Dda University Health Board services until recent years.

Kate said: “The journey to becoming a parent wasn’t straightforward, and I experienced several difficult and emotional setbacks along the way. Throughout this time, I was supported with great care, kindness and compassion by various services across the health board, for which I will always be grateful.

“In December 2023, under the care of Glangwili consultants, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. I’m incredibly grateful and fortunate that I have a fantastic, healthy and happy two-year-old daughter.

“To celebrate, I have signed up to take part in the Long Course Wales Half Marathon! I would love to raise money to give back to the health board that was there when I needed it.

“I can think of nothing better than reaching the finish line in good health, with my daughter waiting for me, knowing I have raised funds and given back to say thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has donated.”

Tara Nickerson, Fundraising Manager, said: “What a heartfelt story. A huge thanks to Kate for taking on the Wales Half Marathon to support a service so close to her heart. We look forward to cheering her on!

“The generous charitable donations we receive don’t replace NHS funding. Instead, they are used to provide items and activities above and beyond core NHS expenditure, such as more welcoming surroundings for patients, families and staff, and research into, and the development of, treatments.”

You can donate to Kate’s fundraiser here: https://hyweldda.enthuse.com/pf/kate-davies

Charity

Welsh gold prize helps Cancer Research Wales mark 60 years

Published

2 days ago

June 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A DIAMOND-set Welsh gold necklace donated by Clogau will headline a special fundraising raffle marking 60 years of Cancer Research Wales.

The award-winning jewellery brand has gifted the necklace as the grand prize in the charity’s inaugural 60th Anniversary Diamond Raffle, which will raise funds for research, diagnosis and treatment projects across Wales.

The prize was unveiled at Clogau’s Cardiff store by Cancer Research Wales ambassador and Miss United Kingdom Millie-Mae Adams, who received it on behalf of the charity.

Clogau, founded in North Wales, is internationally known for jewellery containing rare Welsh gold. Its heritage is closely linked to the Royal Family, with Welsh gold from the Clogau St David’s mine used in royal wedding rings for more than a century.

Ben Roberts, Managing Director of Clogau, said: “We are incredibly proud to support Cancer Research Wales as it celebrates this remarkable 60-year milestone.

“As a Welsh business with deep roots in our communities, we recognise the impact cancer has on families across the country and the importance of investing in research that can save and improve lives.

“We hope this beautiful Welsh gold necklace will help generate significant support for the raffle and encourage people to get behind the charity’s vital work.”

Millie-Mae, a proud Welsh speaker and doctor in training, is also the founder of Exeter Street Doctors, a charity which equips young people with lifesaving first aid skills.

She said: “As a proud ambassador of the charity, it is my privilege to play my part in Cancer Research Wales’s 60th anniversary and be here today to unveil the first prize in the 60 Anniversary Diamond Raffle – a stunning, diamond-set gold necklace, generously donated by Clogau.

“The gift of life and time with our loved ones is the most precious thing in the world, so please show your support for Cancer Research Wales’s life-saving and life-prolonging work today by entering the raffle.

“You could win this stunning Clogau gold necklace while helping to fund vital cancer research here in Wales.”

Millie-Mae also advocates for health education through her Medic Millie Mondays social media series and delivered the first Welsh-language Street Doctors session. Her work with Cancer Research Wales is shaped in part by her own family’s experience of cancer.

Lisa Buckley, Head of Income Generation at Cancer Research Wales, said: “I’m very grateful to Clogau and Millie-Mae Adams for supporting us to launch our 60 Anniversary Diamond Raffle – our first ever raffle, as we celebrate 60 years as the independent Welsh cancer research charity and 60 years of innovation in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

“Since 1966, we have invested £41.68 million to push the boundaries of cancer research discoveries here in Wales and we couldn’t have done that without the kindness of the Welsh public and our fantastic business community.

“Thank you for your support over the years and together we will unite Wales against cancer.”

Cancer Research Wales says the raffle will help support projects aimed at improving cancer outcomes for people across the country.

To enter the raffle, visit www.cancerresearch.wales.

Prize unveiled:

Miss United Kingdom Millie-Mae Adams received the necklace on behalf of Cancer Research Wales at Clogau’s Cardiff store (Pic: Paul Fears).