Fairy Lights, Cake and Hope at St Catherine's Church, Pontypridd

For many at St Catherine’s Church, Pontypridd, cancer is deeply personal. Some are currently living with the disease; others are grieving someone they love. Together, they decided to turn that heartache into action, raising over £1,400 through two recent fundraisers.

Rowena Harding gathered a large team for the Shine Walk, a 10km route from Cardiff Castle to the Bay and back. Wearing as many fairy lights as the team could carry, they joined thousands of walkers in an electric atmosphere. Behind the lights and laughter, everyone had a story: someone they were remembering, supporting or walking beside.

For Rev'd Charlotte Rushton, the walk was in memory of her dad. She says, "My dad died of metastatic lung cancer in 2024, just 24 days after his diagnosis. It was a huge shock to us all.

During the walk, I kept thinking, ‘I shouldn’t be doing this. My dad should still be here.’

“But seeing the other ‘I’m walking for…’ notices, hearing people’s stories and sensing that shared hope, turned the evening into one long prayer walk.”

The fundraising continued with a Macmillan Coffee Morning after Sunday worship. St Cath’s is blessed with brilliant bakers, who provided a wonderful spread of sweet treats. Ponty’s much-loved café, The Princes, also generously donated boxes of fresh cream cakes.

It was lovely to welcome people coming in to support the charity. Plenty of cake was eaten, and plenty went home for later!

Together, these events made space for remembrance, friendship and hope, while raising money to help others affected by cancer. Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who organised, walked, baked, donated and ate cake.

The congregation shared their fervent prayer that one day, within our lifetime, cancer will become a disease of the past.