Grŵp Llandrillo Menai staff member Dylan Parry and friends have raised over £6,000 for Ysbyty Gwynedd’s Alaw cancer ward.

They trekked 40 miles from Rhyl to Caernarfon in memory of Dylan’s late mother, Mandy.

The group, who all worked at Caernarfon’s Crown pub, also summited Yr Wyddfa last November - with the two fundraisers bringing in £3,000 each.

Dylan, who works in Coleg Menai’s examinations department, said his mam would have been proud of their achievements.

Mandy died in August 2024, aged 58, after a long battle with breast cancer. She received treatment at Alaw ward for five years.

Dylan said the staff were brilliant - they became like family towards the end.

“We saw how hard they worked for patients, often in challenging conditions. We wanted to show our gratitude and do something to help other families facing the same difficult journey we did.”

Dylan and former colleagues Jack Williams, Dion Owen, Lexi Davis, Meinir Hughes, Mia Hughes and Siriol Enlli set off from Rhyl at 7pm on 26 July, trekking overnight to avoid the heat, arriving at the Crown shortly before noon the next day following a gruelling 16-hour hike.

Pub regular John Andrew drove them to Rhyl in a minibus, R&I in Caernarfon supplied bottles of water and chocolate, Adrian ‘Stan’ Jones bought group members proper walking shoes, and Pete Hanks supplied first aid and hydration products.

“We were also overwhelmed by the donations, and Steven Hughes, the Crown’s landlord, rounded things off with his own contribution,” Dylan added.

The Crown’s manager, Meinir Hughes, has suggested a sponsored headshave to bump up the cash fund before it is handed to the Alaw ward.

“On behalf of the group, I’d like to thank everyone who sponsored us and helped make the fundraiser such a success,” Dylan added.