Old Penarthians Rugby Club raise nearly £2,000 in 24 hour cyclothon

The Old Penarthians rugby team took part in a cyclotron at Anytime Fitness in Penarth to raise money for their away game in Majorca later this month.

More than 50 people aged 15-80 took part in the 24-hour event, where they raised nearly 80 per cent of their £2,000 target.

At time of writing, the team was just £405 off the goal of £2000. Each person cycled for one hour, totalling the equivalent of Penarth to Majorca, or 1,273 Miles.

Ian Davies, youth team tour manager at Old Penarthians said: “We are hoping to raise £2,000 for kit for our Majorca tour.

“We have over 50 people coming with us, which is over 400 pieces of kit we need to raise money for. But the money we raise isn’t just for us. Half of what we raise will be going to Headlands School in Penarth.”

Upon choosing the type of fundraising event, the team chose an event that would be inclusive for everyone.

By choosing a cyclotron it meant that more people were involved in raising as much money as possible.

Staff and players at Old Penarthians, along with family members and friends cycled in the event

He added: “I wanted the boys to understand fundraising, instead of just going for sponsorship. I didn’t just want to go into a business and ask for a sponsorship deal.

“Instead, I wanted all the money to be earned by us. And it's important for the boys to know that the money they raise isn’t just for us but can go to other people who need it.

“I showed them the kit package we had in mind and told them: ‘Raise the money, get the kit,’ They needed to see that fundraising can be challenging. It’s important for those young lads to understand that.”

Last year, Old Penarthians raised £700 in a fundraising event, and have so far doubled that target with £1595 raised from the cyclothon.

The Old Penarthians rugby team believe it's important to display a sense of strong community values, which is one of the reasons they chose to hold the event in Anytime Fitness Penarth.