A grand team fund raising effort led by a leading finance guru has paid handsome dividends for a Gwent hospice charity.

Self-employed mortgage adviser Dave Churchill gathered friends together for a supreme effort to raise money for St David’s Hospice Care in memory of his late father Jeff.

Team STAGS, named after Dave’s late father Jeff‘s Newport golf society, raised an impressive £10,929.82 through a variety of fund raising efforts over recent months including taking part in the Admiral City of Newport Half Marathon.

Father of two Dave, aged 39, married to Clare and who lives in Marshfield, said: “St David’s Hospice Care were marvellous. The charity was instrumental in providing essential care for my father when he was in the final stages of fighting terminal cancer.

“My dad had terminal cancer. We only found out a week before he died, aged 71, in late October last year. When Dad left the hospital for what would be his final week at home, as a family we were faced with caring for someone who was getting increasingly weak and a general sense of not knowing what to do until St David's Hospice arrived.

“St David’s Hospice Care was able to provide Dad with the support that we couldn't. They could answer questions for him, ask the right questions and make sure he was cared for in a compassionate and dignified manner. That was of great comfort to him in his final days.

“They were also of great comfort to us as a family. I was able to ask questions about how it would all happen. I'd never seen someone die before and I didn't know what to expect. Having someone there to answer that question gave me the strength to be able to be there with Dad as he passed away and be strong for him. To tell him Thank You and that I loved him. Rather than be scared at what was taking place, I was able to hold Dad and provide him with what he needed most at that moment, which was love and comfort.

“The people of St David's Hospice Care provided us the opportunity to be together as a family without fear as we said our goodbyes. When faced with cancer, no-one should ever have to do it any other way.”

Dave, who fondly remembers playing five-a-side with his father until a couple of years ago, said: “A group of 20 of us fundraised and ran the Newport Half Marathon for St David’s Hospice Care on March 6 this year. The support was incredible, not just from the people who did the race with me, which were a combination of experienced and novice runners, but also from friends who took the baton and fundraised themselves.

“My mother, Carole, did an incredible job in fundraising as did several members of our team, one in particular, Gareth Thomas, raised more than £1,000 by himself.”

Kris Broome, of St David’s Hospice Care, said: “We’re so very grateful to Dave and Team STAGS for the tremendous efforts they all made to raise such a marvellous sum of money for St David’s Hospice Care in memory of Dave Churchill’s late father Jeff.”

Registration for the Admiral City of Newport Half Marathon 2017 is now open. To enter, discover more about St David’s Hospice Care, the work that they do for free in the community and how you can help please visit www.stdavidshospicecare.org.