On the first day of spring, March the 21st, our very own Community Development Manager, Bethan Thomas, took on the mammoth task of swimming 22 miles, the same distance of the English Channel. Where many take on this challenge spread across a month or even two, Bethan chose to tackle the 1408 lengths of Rhydycar swimming pool, in one go.
None of this was in vain. Her efforts were all to raise key funds for Fit and Fed Merthyr Tydfil, a holiday enrichment project, that Merthyr Housing coordinates for the borough of Merthyr Tydfil. Currently, Fit and Fed Merthyr Tydfil is funded by the National Lottery’s Community Fund, but as we draw into the 2025/26 financial year, the funding will end. With this in mind, the Just Keep Swimming challenge was set to raise key funds to continue the project for another 12 months.
Fit and Fed Merthyr Tydfil provides free access to sport and physical activity and a free nutritious meal for al the children and young people taking part. Fit and Fed Merthyr Tydfil hosts 15 sites borough wide, and this year alone we have support 1,715 children and young people to access free food and physical activity.
In the last three years, the project has provided 12023 free meals. When one on five children under the age of 15 in the UK are estimated to live in households where there isn’t enough money to buy food, projects such as Fit and Fed Merthyr Tydfil are providing an essential lifeline during the school holidays, to the families of Merthyr.
In 15 hours and 21 minutes, Bethan completed the 22-mile swim challenge. Her efforts have raised just short of £9,000 to support Fit and Fed Merthyr Tydfil for another 12 months. Thanks to corporate sponsorship from New Look Merthyr Tydfil, P&P Builders, Taylor Lewis, Sparkles Cleaning Services, Liberty Gas, Pendragoin Design and Build, Jamar Building Services, The Busy Group ADactive, as well as friends and family of the Merthyr community we have raised key funds to support more children and young people to remain safe, active and fed during school holidays for anther year.
There is still time to donate. Click on the following link to donate to the challenge https://gofund.me/0d3c9146
