Latch | Team Latch raise over £35,000 at the Cardiff Half Marathon 2025!

A week on from race day, we’re still feeling inspired and incredibly grateful to our amazing Team Latch runners.

They have raised more than £35,000 (and counting!), plus gift aid, for the children and families we support across Wales.

It’s been just a week since the Cardiff Half Marathon 2025, and our hearts are still full.

We are so incredibly proud, and thankful, to the amazing Team Latch runners who filled the streets of Cardiff in purple, running every mile for childhood cancer.

With almost 100 runners proudly wearing the Latch logo, this year’s team has raised an astonishing £35,000 so far, helping us continue supporting families affected by childhood cancer in Wales.

Every step, every cheer, and every donation has made a difference.

A wave of support at mile 9

One of the highlights of the day came near the nine-mile mark, where our Latch Cheer Station at Albany Road Baptist Church was a sea of purple, smiles, and energy.

Our social work team, families, trustees, volunteers, and the incredible team from the church came together to lift our runners’ spirits as they pushed through those challenging final miles.

The sound of cheers, clapping, and laughter filled the air as Team Latch runners were met with banners, music, and encouragement that carried them through to the finish line.

We want to give a huge thank you to everyone at Albany Road Baptist Church for their continued support of Latch each year.

Their generosity and community spirit make such a difference, not just on race day, but throughout the year.

“Seeing our families, staff, and the church community standing together, cheering and celebrating every runner, was incredibly moving. It reminded us all what the Latch family is about: hope, compassion, and community.”

The Fit Six Magor story: Sweat, smiles, and over £11,000 raised

Among this year’s incredible fundraisers was Fit Six Magor, a small but mighty team that proved just how far determination and community spirit can go. Together, this fitness group raised over £11,000 plus gift aid for Latch, an extraordinary total built through months of creativity, energy, and teamwork.

Their efforts didn’t stop at running. They hosted race nights, community fundraisers, and even created their own Latch Summer Series, a 10-week circuit-training challenge that combined fitness with fundraising. Every Thursday evening, the Fit Six studio buzzed with energy as locals sweated it out for a cause close to their hearts.

Their motto, “Get Fit, Do Good!”, summed it up perfectly.

As they lifted, jumped, and pushed through every session, they knew every rep was helping a child in Wales face their toughest fight.

“What an absolutely amazing day raising money for an absolutely amazing charity.” said team member, Sam, “I could not be prouder of the members who ran the half marathon along with our awesome community who helped us raise an unbelievable £11,000+ for such a brilliant cause that has helped my family personally, as well as so many other families across South Wales. A big thank you to all who supported us and a huge thank you to Latch.”

Livi's and Charlotte's story

For Livi Melville-Jones from Swansea, this year’s Cardiff Half was deeply personal. Livi signed up alongside her sister Charlotte, who had been supported by Latch back in 2015.

Livi, who was just a teenager at the time, became her sister’s bone marrow donor. Their family’s life was turned upside down when Charlotte’s treatment meant relocating to London for six months. It was an incredibly difficult time, emotionally, financially, and mentally.

That’s when Latch stepped in.

“Latch were amazing,” Livi said. “They supported us not just with the costs and practical things, but emotionally too. Because our treatment was in London, my mum and sister had to live there, which meant my parents couldn’t work for months. The financial help latch gave us meant we could travel, stay together, and get Charlotte through her treatment.”

Unfortunately, due to an ankle injury forcing Charlotte to cheer from the sidelines, Livi laced up her running shoes to run for them both. Livi carried their family’s story across every mile, her determination fuelled by love, and the desire to help other families like hers.

Little legs, big hearts

Team Latch wasn’t made up solely of seasoned runners. Among its proudest members were 11 primary school girls, who trained together to run in the family event on Saturday for Latch.

Collectively, these little champions have raised over £1,000, showing that compassion knows no age.

When their race was sadly cancelled due to Storm Amy, instead of giving up, five of the girls decided to run anyway, completing a run around Llanishen Reservoir on Sunday.

We are incredibly proud of all the young people that chose to run and fundraise for Latch this year. They all worked incredibly hard, and thanks to them, children and families affected by childhood cancer will have access to emotional, practical, and financial support.

Running comes full circle: Rhys’s remarkable journey

Fifteen years ago, a group of 16 runners took on the Cardiff Half Marathon for Rhys, who at the time was just beginning what would become three and a half years of treatment for leukaemia.

This year, that story came full circle.

Now grown and healthy, Rhys returned to the Cardiff Half, this time as a runner himself, running side by side with his mum.

Rhys has already raised over £2,000 for Latch, and his story touched the hearts of everyone who cheered him on.

“Now Rhys is taking on this challenge. We couldn’t be any more proud,” said his mum.

Their journey symbolises everything Team Latch stands for: hope, compassion, and the power of community. Seeing Rhys cross that finish line was a powerful reminder of why every runner, volunteer, and supporter does what they do.

Why it matters

Latch supports around 100 children and their families in Wales at any one time, who may face months, often years, of hospital stays, travel, and uncertainty. Latch exists to make sure no family faces that alone.

From providing on-site accommodation at the University Hospital of Wales, to offering financial grants that help families with the cost of frequent travel for treatment, as well as emotional support and holiday breaks, the charity wraps families in care when they need it most.

What makes Team Latch so special isn’t just the fundraising totals; it’s the people. From first-time runners to seasoned athletes, from community gym teams to families running in memory or in hope, everyone is united by a shared mission, to be here for childhood cancer in Wales.

For the runners of Team Latch, every mile means something.

It means more grants to help families travel back and forth to hospital for treatment, more financial support to ease the burden of time away from work, and more comfort for children facing their toughest days.

Looking ahead: Join Team Latch in 2026

As the medals are hung and the trainers are finally washed, the Latch family is already looking ahead. Plans are underway for an even bigger and brighter Team Latch in 2026, and the charity is inviting anyone inspired by this year’s achievements to get involved.