Gareth Davies and Iain Bevan are taking on the challenge to swim the English Channel to raise money and awareness for Critical Care Unit at the University Hospital of Wales and Phoenix 681 FC, a Parkinson's Disease Football Team.

Iain: ‘Last year my son Sam was a passenger in a serious road traffic accident and was taken to Cardiff Critical Care Unit. Despite fighting for a week in the Critical Care Unit he sadly lost his life.

Cardiff & Vale Health Charity is the official charity of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. The charity manages more than 300 funds including the Critical Care Unit fund and provides equipment, research, treatment and enhances patient care, so that donations can support work and projects that are over and above NHS funding. More information can be found here:

https://cardiffcriticalcare.co.uk

I’m attempting this challenge for Sam and to raise money for the facility and the team at Cardiff CCU who fight daily to save people’s lives in the most difficult, pressurised and emotional situations.’

PHOENIX 681 FC

RAY KENNEDY WEEKEND 2025 - WALES

I have recently been supporting a very good friend of mine who was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease 10 years ago at the age of 42. He continues to fend off the advances of this cruel condition by playing sport once a week when he is able to. I have had the honour of meeting and playing football with his fantastic team mates who have now become his friends who all have one thing in common...

They started in 2019 as 6 men, now in 2024 they are now 26 strong…. varying in age from 38 - 68, all diagnosed with idiopathic Young Onset Parkinson’s disease. They now know that they’re challenging the fastest growing neurological condition in the world at the moment.

Promoting proven non-medicinal treatment like exercise could be key to disarming the speed of progression of this challenging illness seeing as there is no cure and the same medication is being used since the 1950’s.

One way of ‘tackling’ this condition via sport has been their involvement in a 7-A-Side Running football team and a 6-A-Side Walking Football Team made up of Parkinson’s ‘Challengers’.

Their South Wales-based group of Parkinson’s battlers are ‘Phoenix 681 FC’.

But why 681?

Every chemical has a number registered and listed in the the Open Chemistry Database (PubChem) register. The number for Dopamine is 681... Dopamine is the chemical that the brains of people with Parkinson’s stops producing, which effects movement of their bodies and causes rigidity and extreme slowness amongst another 40+ symptoms…

In September 2024 they were invited to participate in The Ray Kennedy Cup hosted in Moss, Norway. They reached the semi-final for the second successive year. The Ray Kennedy Cup is a football tournament held annually in different European countries for clubs solely with squads including Parkinson’s Disease Challengers who play against each other and represent their respective countries.

Ray Kennedy was a well-known 1970s footballer, who played for Arsenal, Liverpool and England. Unfortunately, his career was cut short when he was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 33. Sadly Ray passed away in November last year at the age of 70..

Getting to Norway was such a huge achievement for those who are trying to defy Parkinson’s Disease while trying to promote a sporting activity that could help slow down this progressive and debilitating condition.

It would be such a huge help to them to be able to continue to play a sport that not only aids their physical health but assists with the quality of their mental wellbeing. Phoenix 681 FC is framing an open and inclusive environment for those directly fighting the progression of the condition and of course their respective significant support networks, friends and families.

Phoenix 681 FC represented Wales and took part in the process of officially bidding to host what will be called 'The Ray Kennedy Weekend' in September 2025. On Saturday the 6th of September there will be a 6-A-SIDE Walking Football Tournament called the 'Ray Kennedy Shield' and on Sunday the 7th of September the inaugural 'Ray Kennedy Cup' 7-A-SIDE Running tournament will take place.

The Ray Kennedy Weekend will take place at Ocean Park Arena in Cardiff. They only went and won the bid of this brilliant event and will be held in Wales for the very first time in 11 years. Please help me firstly try and deliver what will be an unforgettable experience for these incredibly impressive people and put Wales on the map by hosting the successful Ray Kennedy Weekend yet!.

Secondly, support the club’s potential to grow and improve what is a fantastic, inclusive sports club that can continue to help the present cohort of those defiant against their respective Parkinson's Disease progression as well as future 'PD People'.

You can help by sponsoring me to complete my challenge…

Thank you in advance, all your donations, big or small will make a difference!