sully friends of t ˆy hafan celebrate 25 years

sully friends of t ˆy hafan celebrate

We’ve had some amazing fundraising stories throughout the years, but the longevity of some supporter’s commitment to the charity really reminds us just how much Tˆy Hafan means to the people of Wales.

Sully Friends of Tˆy Hafan have been here since before the hospice foundations were even laid and they were instrumental in helping Suzanne Goodall fundraise and raise awareness of the charity all those years ago. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, they held a ball which was a perfect exclamation point on a quarter century’s worth of support. So we are going to hand over to Lynda Francis, Vice Chair of Sully Friends of Tˆy Hafan, to tell you about their journey.

We first heard of Tˆy Hafan 25 years ago when Suzanne Goodall came to talk to our women’s group in the village. Suzanne shared her vision with us and we were blown away with what she believed we could do.

There was never any doubt in her mind that Tˆy Hafan would happen and, meeting in the pub later (where most of our meetings took place after that), we decided that we just had to get together and support her by helping her raise the funds to build this amazing place. Suzanne inspired us to set up Sully Friends of T ˆy Hafan and when we look back, we can’t believe how far T ˆy Hafan has come. It’s amazing!

So, last year was our 25th anniversary and we had a celebration. All of us on the committee enjoy a good night out so it’s a bonus if we can raise extra funds while we’re having fun. Our charity ball was held in the Ricoh Suite at Cardiff City Football Club on Saturday 6 July and was a great night with lots going on and plenty of opportunity to get people onside (note the footy reference) to raise awareness of the great work at Tˆy Hafan and continue to raise funds.

While much of our work last year went into organising the ball, we never neglected our regular events throughout the year. We had three annual Quiz Nights which are always sell outs and we often have a waiting list for cancellations! There was also a Christmas Craft Fayre at The Old School Sully in early December. We couldn’t do all these things without the help of our families who get dragged along to our events to move furniture, sell raffle tickets, sweep up after the events and so on. So thanks to them all.

We all lead busy lives these days and one of the great things about belonging to Sully Friends is that we keep up friendships that go back to the beginning, meeting socially on a regular basis and working together for a common cause. Some of us also volunteer at T ˆy Hafan events such as the 10K events and marshalling at the Taff Trail. We always welcome new members to the group as they bring new ideas, skills and enthusiasm with them.

Don’t forget: sullyfriends@hotmail.co.uk We share Suzanne’s vision and are privileged to be part of the many volunteers and groups that raise the funds that keep Tˆy Hafan delivering the best it can to its children and their families.