Ben runs 31 half marathons throughout March to raise money for a C.A.R.E pack for bereaved families at Royal Glamorgan Hospital

A huge well done to 19-year-old Ben Peever from Ferndale who set himself a challenge to run a half marathon(13.1 miles) throughout March to raise money for a C.A.R.E pack(compassion and respect for every loss)for bereaved families at Royal Glamorgan Hospital. 

Ben's two sisters Ellie and Sophie are nurses at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, after seeing his sisters work so hard throughout the pandemic, as well as watching his own community being hit so hard by COVID, Ben decided he too wanted to help.

Ben said: “I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the local public. I have been so humbled by the fantastic support shown to me and the phenomenal amount of money donated which will help our local hospital so much.

“It was a tough challenge.  The first week was the hardest as my body had never gone through that volume of runs before.  I had to set myself little targets throughout the month - ‘get the first week done’, then ‘get to 10 days’, then ‘get to half way’, then ‘make it to the last week’ and from that point it was the feeling of being on the home run.             

“It was a very proud moment completing the runs, it was a crazy challenge that put me right out of my comfort zone, but after completing in Ironman Tenby Wales at the age of eighteen, I knew as long as I put my mind to it I could get through it.

“I’d like to thank my family and friends for also keeping me positive on my crazy challenge adventures."

Ben heard about the C.A.R.E pack that staff in the A&E department at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital were offering to bereaved families and decided he would like to help fundraise for more packages.  Ben aimed to raise £500 which would help towards the cost of the pack, thirty-one days on and Ben has raised a staggering £4,040.

The C.A.R.E pack was an initiative set up by staff in the A&E department at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital to provide a bereavement pack to those who have lost someone.

The aim of the C.A.R.E pack is to provide keepsake memories for those who unfortunately go through such a difficult time in order to bring comfort to families. The department provides families with a small bag containing a wooden heart with the loved ones finger print, a candle, forget me not plant seeds, tissues, an organza bag for a lock of hair and a sympathy card.  The C.A.R.E pack is funded by donations.

Deborah Matthews, Head of Nursing at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, said: "An enormous thank you to Ben Peever and the community for their donations from the Emergency Department team as the donation made to C.A.R.E will make a huge difference to families that have suddenly been bereaved attending the Emergency Department. The memories are forever keepsakes and will hopefully comfort families in the longer term and help support  the bereavement process".