A team of 17 Cygnet workers, led by CEO Dr Tony Romero, will trek one of Wales’ highest mountains to raise funds for a charity which offers much-needed support to nurses and healthcare assistants.

The team of colleagues from across Cygnet services are raising money for Cavell which provides grants, advice and a listening ear to nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants, including support workers.

On Friday 21 June, they will be attempting to scale Glyder Fawr, a mountain in Snowdonia, Wales. The highest peak in the Glyderau range is at just over 1,000 metres and it is the fifth-highest mountain in Wales.

CEO Dr Tony Romero said taking part in fundraising challenges like these is Cygnet’s way of giving back.

He explained: “Our nurses are the lifeblood of our organisation and when the nursing family are going through tough times, whether it’s personal or financial hardship, Cavell is there to help. The charity is one that myself, and my team of colleagues, feel very passionate about.

“Our nurses and healthcare assistants at Cygnet turn up every day to provide care to some of society’s most vulnerable people. They support others with the professionalism, humility, good humour and above all, compassion.

“The very least we can do is raise funds for the charity which offers support for them when they need it.”

Alongside midwives and healthcare assistants, Cavell supports both working and retired nurses when they’re suffering personal or financial hardship often due to illness, disability, older age, domestic abuse and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

The charity offers an effective, tailored package of support to help everyone who gets in touch. It gives emotional support for those in crisis, advice on maximising benefits, signposting and referrals to specialist services, one-off grants to quickly relieve financial hardship and rapid emergency funding for those at great risk.

From simple, essential support like money to replace a broken cooker or travelling expenses to medical appointments, to vital life changing aid like helping a family flee their home due to domestic abuse, Cavell is there to help.

Tony added: “We ask a lot of our nurses, and we know that if staff are well supported, patients will receive the highest quality care. The work and support Cavell offers nurses is so important, I am delighted to be leading this team on our fundraising efforts.

“At some point in our lives we’ll all need care. This is true for our proud caring professionals too. We want to play our part in supporting a charity which helps nurses when they’re facing crisis.”

The team will follow one of the most popular routes from Ogwen Cottage to the shore of Llyn Idwal, through to the base of the famous Rhiwiau Caws (Idwal Slabs) rock climbing crag. The team will then make their way out of the valley via the steep Twll Du path, arriving at a small lake called Llyn Y Cŵn. From here, a steep scree path ascends the western shoulder to the summit of Glyder Fawr.

“This will be a challenging route and will certainly test many of us to our limits but I am looking forward to the experience and the camaraderie and encouragement amongst each other as we venture to the summit,” added Dr Romero.

In 2023 there was a 14% increase in the amount of nursing and midwifery staff receiving financial support from the Cavell team, compared to the previous year. That’s an extra 175 families who benefitted from practical, financial and emotional support. Applications for support remain at an unprecedented level during the first half of 2024, with no sign of these slowing down.

Donations can be made to the charity via the team’s Justgiving fundraising page.

The Cygnet team for the Glyder Fawr challenge is:

Dr Tony Romero – Group CEO

Lucy Scarborough – Director of Communications and Marketing

Lee Hammon – Chief Commercial Officer

Dr Jon Van Niekerk – Group Clinical Director

Charles Coia – Healthcare Facilities Director, South

Gordon Bailey – Procurement Director

Dr Arokia Antonysamy – Regional Medical Director, South

Dr Salim Matta – Regional Medical Director, North

Artur Dymko – Clinical Commissioning Nurse Team Leader

Gareth Williams – CEO Social Care Division

Barney Cunningham – Operations Director Social Care, North West, Scotland and Midlands

Danny Romero – Digital Services Project Manager

Helen Gent – Director of Marketing

Matt O’Brien – Digital Marketing Manager

Dr Gbolagade Akintomide (Akin) – Consultant Psychiatrist

Katie Sheldon – Commercial Director, Social Care

Jo McAuliffe – Deputy Director of NursingCavell are here for UK Nurses, Midwives and HCAs, whether working or retired, with money and support when they are living through personal or financial hardship, often because of illness, domestic abuse, disability, working poverty and older age.

Put simply, we’re ‘Here for Nurses’.