A team of nine staff from the Craig-y-Don Pharmacy recently dusted off their walking boots for a marathon challenge to raise much-needed funds for St David’s Hospice.

The pharmacy’s staff took part in the Swettenham’s Marathon Challenge which invited staff from across its branches to complete a collective 12 marathons through walking, running and cycling.

In November, the staff members across the area’s branches took part at the same time in their local area, working together to raise funds for their local adult hospice.

The group’s walk, which collectively amounted to the equivalent 5.8 marathons, set off from Bodlondeb Council Offices in Conwy, walked to Llandudno around the Great Orme and back to Bodlondeb.

Through sponsorship and donations from their loyal customers, the team raised an outstanding £1,167.49 for St David’s Hospice. This included a kind donation of £870 from the pharmacy’s former owners Swettenham’s chemist, effectively £150 for each collective marathon completed.

St David’s Hospice is a local charity working across the counties of Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey. Supporting people who are affected by life-limiting illnesses, they provide dignified end-of-life care free of charge in a warm and caring environment.

Annually it costs over £5 million to run St David’s Hospice and less than 9% of the funding is received from the Welsh Government and Local Health Board. Therefore over 90% of its income is generated through community fundraising such as the Craig y Don Pharmacy team’s marathon effort.

Hospice Conwy Area Fundraiser James Wilde praised the team for their effort and said: “Thank you very much to the staff of Craig-Y-Don pharmacy for all of their efforts and former owners Swettenham’s Chemist for their generosity. The funds raised will be a big support to both patients and their families here at St David’s Hospice.”

For more information about supporting St David’s Hospice, please visit www.stdavidshospice.org.uk or call 01492 879058.