My father sadly passed away in January 2022 after a long-fought and arduous battle with illness, further complicated by alcoholism. In response to this and to honour him, I will continue to raise awareness of alcohol misuse, its effects on mental and physical health and how it can be combated. 

To do this I’m organising a hike around the Upper Taff Basin – a route traversing several mountains of the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales. Many charities are working extremely hard in changing the narrative around this subject through minimising the ‘man up’ stigma that is prevalent in the space, preventing people (men in particular) from seeking and accepting the help they desperately need. 

My father and our family were fortunate enough to receive help from this amazing charity, and it is this charity that this hike will be in aid of: Nacoa UK. They do some amazing work in helping people overcome addiction and also helping those affected by someone who suffers with addiction. It has been a great resource for me and my family to ease our way through this painful process of grief and to also hear so many stories from other people in similar positions to be able to relate to and not feel isolated. The link to their website should be on this page for you to check them out if you wish. 

The hike will take place on Saturday 24th February 2024, commencing at 6:30am from Nant-Y-Gwyddon road and finish on top of pen-pych by Dai’s memorial for all those involved to pay their respects if they wish and appreciate the view. Anyone wishing to join for part, or all the hike is more than welcome to do so.