From Rumney to South Africa - youths dress up to reach fundraising target

A group of Cardiff youngsters who are travelling to South Africa for volunteer work took part in a weekend of fundraising last week in a final push to reach their target of £20,000.

The 18 young members of Rumney Gospel Chapel donned some weird and wonderful fancy dress outfits on Saturday and walked from Rumney to Cardiff city centre, collecting money along the way. A total of £250 was donated throughout the walk.

Before their fundraising weekend, the group had managed to raise around £18,000 through sponsored "toddle waddles" with local playgroups, a South African-themed meal, cake sales, and magazine delivery, among many other events. Local businesses have also helped out by donating generously, including a £1,000 contribution from G24 Innovations in Trowbridge.

They also managed to raise £650 while bag packing in Morrison's supermarket on Sunday, which took them to their final target.

The group, who are all between 12 and 19 years old, are departing for the youth mission project on April 13 and will be helping to build houses and a nursery for homeless people in the town of Naturena, outside Johannesburg. They will be labouring for eight hours a day for five days to change the lives of the local people.

Mike Thomas, 33, community pastor at Rumney Chapel is taking the youths on the trip and is hoping it will be a valuable learning experience for them.

He said: “We decided to organise the trip to open their eyes, so they can see how lucky they are.”

Rumney PCSO, Sam Johnson is taking annual leave to go on the trip with local youths, one of whom
is her daughter.

She said: “We are all really looking forward to it. It’s a once in a lifetime experience.”

Bethan Dolphin, 13 from Rumney, is one of the participating youths. She said: “It is important to help other people because we have so much and they don’t have anything.”

Abigail Wade, 15, added: “It will make us realise what we actually have.”