Tag Archives: Charity of the Year

Business, Charity & CSR, Finance News, News from Wales

Swansea Building Society names Prostate Cymru as 2025 charity partner

Swansea Building Society has revealed Prostate Cymru as its chosen charity of the year for 2025. Through various events and initiatives, the Society aims to raise £25,000 to support the charity’s essential work in raising awareness and improving outcomes for those affected by prostate cancer.

One of the reasons Prostate Cymru was chosen as the Society’s charity of the year is due to its personal significance to the organisation. In April 2024, Martin Lewis, the Society’s Area Manager for England, along with the husband of one of the Society’s cashiers, were both diagnosed with prostate cancer after attending a Prostate Cymru test day held in conjunction with Swansea City Football Club. Neither had experienced any prior symptoms.

Mr Lewis, who is currently undergoing treatment while continuing to work, has shared his story to highlight the importance of early detection. “Attending the Prostate Cymru test day was possibly one of the most important decisions of my life – though I didn’t know it at the time,” he explained. “Like many men, I had no symptoms and wouldn’t have thought to get tested. I urge others not to wait for symptoms – getting tested could make all the difference.”

Through the partnership, Swansea Building Society aims to support the charity’s plans to extend the PSA blood test days across South Wales, ensuring more individuals have access to potentially life-saving early detection.

As part of its fundraising efforts during 2025, the Society aims to field teams in the Swansea Half Marathon and the Ray Murray Golf Day. The Society will also proudly sponsor the Blue Tie Ball, hosted by Prostate Cymru at the Vale Resort on February 14, 2025. Additional fundraising events will be held throughout the year to support the charity’s initiatives, which focus on raising awareness, funding research, and delivering the PSA blood test events across Wales.

Alun Williams, Chief Executive of Swansea Building Society, said: “Prostate Cymru’s work resonates deeply with us as an organisation, especially following the experiences of our colleague Martin and a family member of one of our team. This partnership represents our commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of our communities. By raising funds and awareness, we hope to help more individuals detect and treat this disease early, while also contributing to the incredible work Prostate Cymru does across Wales.”

Prostate Cymru is dedicated to improving awareness of prostate health and ensuring men have access to vital testing and support. Swansea Building Society, which has a renowned reputation for supporting numerous local charities and initiatives, will work closely with the charity throughout 2025 to make a lasting impact on the communities it serves.

Accountancy & Accounts, Business, Charity Events, Newport, Tax

Kilsby Williams announces charity of the year

Tax and accountancy specialist Kilsby Williams has announced that it will be supporting Calon Hearts as its charity of the year.

Calon Hearts is a Cardiff-based charity which promotes heart health in Wales and across the UK.

Less than one in ten people survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest but survival rates can be increased significantly if a defibrillator is used and CPR is performed. The charity’s mission includes teaching valuable CPR and first aid skills, and ensuring communities have access to defibrillators and are trained in how to use them.

Calon Hearts also provides free heart screenings for people aged between 16 and 25 to detect life-threatening heart conditions that often go undetected.

To kickstart their fundraising efforts, a team of around 20 from the firm has signed up to run the Cardiff Half Marathon on 6 October.

Dafydd Ford, partner at Kilsby Williams, said: “We are pleased to share that we will be supporting Calon Hearts over the next year, raising awareness of heart health and funds to support their vital work. This is a cause we are passionate about as we sadly lost our colleague Rob Harding earlier this year and we want to make a difference in his memory.

“We’ll be beginning our fundraising challenges with the Cardiff Half Marathon. A half marathon is no mean feat; the team is training hard to pound the streets of Cardiff and do Rob and his family proud.”

Sharon Owen, founder of Calon Hearts, said: “We are delighted that Newport-based accountants, Kilsby Williams, has chosen Calon Hearts as its charity of the year and are greatly appreciative of this support.

“Calon Hearts has worked tirelessly since the charity was founded over 11 years ago to raise awareness of the vital importance of heart health and, to date, has installed over 30,400 defibrillators, provided CPR training to over 99,900 people and screened over 17,000 hearts for potentially life-threatening conditions.

“Calon Hearts would like to wish the Kilsby Williams team the best of luck in the Cardiff Half Marathon, which will launch their fundraising challenges in memory of their colleague.”