Going the #ExtraMile for St David’s Hospice Care

Yesterday, Thursday 17^th June, saw staff and students from Coleg Gwent taking on their biggest charity challenge yet. In aid of St David’s Hospice Care – our college’s chosen charity of the year – staff and learners pledged to cover as many miles as possible in 24 hours in all manner of ways. They ran, walked, cycled, rowed, swam, skied and danced their way through a series of fundraising events throughout the day, to raise vital funds and awareness of the fantastic work carried out by St David’s Hospice Care.

With our Academic and Enterprise Studies Faculty Director, Ian Millward, leading the way with an epic all-day bike ride, the events kicked off at sunrise as he set off on his journey at 5:30am. Covering a grand total of 206.7 miles and finishing his cycling challenge just as the sun was going down before 10pm, Ian ascended mountains, cycled on roads and winding lanes, and visited each of our five campuses along the way. Joined by other staff for portions of the route and cheered on by staff and learners at each campus, Ian’s impressive cycling feat spurred us on to go the extra mile too, with a multitude of exciting events taking place across the college.

Well done to all the students and staff who took up the challenge and went the distance for St David’s Hospice Care. Tania Ansell, Business and Community Fundraiser at St David’s Hospice Care, commented;

“On behalf of all the patients and staff at St David’s Hospice Care, thank you everyone! Ian’s achievement is amazing, well done on completing the challenge. We have been truly humbled and bowled over by your enthusiasm and passion for raising money for the hospice and going the #ExtraMile. Tonight, we’ll have our hospice nurses in the homes of patients, offering care and reassurance to the patients and their families who are on an end of life journey. We can provide this dedicated service at no cost to the patients because of what YOU are doing! We are so proud of you all. Take a bow Coleg Gwent!”

Here are some of the fantastic achievements of students and staff who took part n the Extra Mile challenge:

• Lecturer Lisette Edwards swam 110 lengths, covering a distance of 1.7 miles in just one hour
• Crosskeys A Level PE students ran 3 miles
• Torfaen Learning Zone Business learners walked 6.2 miles
• Fastest mile challenge – on the bike, treadmill, skier and rowing machine – at Crosskeys Campus and Torfaen Learning Zone, supported by Simply Gym Cwmbran
• Crosskeys Sports students and staff took part in the ‘Miles per Man’ challenge
• BTEC Business Students at Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone did a 4.5-mile sponsored walk
• Level 2 Fitness learners at Usk Campus took part in spin sessions led by Part-time Gym Instructor learner, Zoe Jennings, who recently lost an inspirational 12 stone
• Head of School Helen Morgan cycled 100 miles
• Staff members Rhiannon and Stacey completed a 10-mile run
• Sports Lecturer, Joel Morgan, from Usk Campus cycled 30 miles
• The Welsh Bilingualism Department covered 35 miles between them
• Learning Coach David Morgan cycled 120 miles on the stationary bike at Usk Campus
• Jess Pike, Employer Engagement Advisor, walked 28 miles along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal in 8 hours 48 minutes
• The Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone team cycled 70 miles, finishing just after midnight
• Dan Coles, Director of External Engagement, ran 8.5 miles around Risca Leisure Centre
• Layla Pearce, Faculty Improvement Lead, walked 10 miles with learners from Crosskeys campus, finishing off with an indoor bike session
• The External Engagement Team conquered Sugar Loaf Mountain
• There were a series of outdoor games and a Dance-athon at Torfaen Learning Zone
• Crosskeys Campus Motor Vehicle staff tackled all three of the local peaks on foot
• Vice Principal Nicola Gamlin took time out of her annual leave to walk 6 miles around Windsor Castle
• Vice Principal Lynda Astell hopped on her bike in support of the charity
• Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone – 205 miles were covered at our Ebbw Vale Campus
• Crosskeys Campus – over 100 students and staff covered 417 miles by walking, running, cycling and rowing
• Torfaen Learning Zone – with almost 2 million steps and an equivalent distance of the circumference of Wales, Torfaen Learning Zone covered an incredible 1128.74 miles
• Usk Campus – students and staff achieved a huge 1005.29 miles between them

Overall on the day, staff and students across the college racked up an incredible 4,572 miles (and counting!) and we’re so proud of their enthusiasm for such a good cause.

Well done to everyone involved in making the day such a success and thank you for all the generous donations for St David’s Hospice Care. Donations are still flooding in and we’re already a third of the way towards our £10,000 target which will make a world of difference for the charity. There’s still time to donate in support of the Extra Mile challenge – you can donate quickly and easily online through our Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/coleggwent.