Day 3 of the BRIT / Young Dragons WAAT4 Challenge & the completion of our 40km Brecon Beacons Adventure

 

The last three days in the Brecon Beacons have been a great experience.

 

 

We set out with three objectives;

 

Objective 1.

• Champion and connect numerous Charities, Youth Organisations and Emergency Services, including the event's two permanent charities; Brecon Mountain Rescue and the Wales Air Ambulance

I was delighted that we received so much support from Dyfed-Powys Police to allow us to take part and our relationships grew stronger with Brecon Mountain Rescue and Wales Air Ambulance throughout the Challenge.

 

 

With Gary Philpott (the Dyfed-Powys Police WAAT4 Challenge Coordinator (in blue) and members of Brecon Mountain Rescue who made our participation possible

 

 

With Lieutenant Colonel John Maddison MBE Royal Marines and BRIT Mentor, Oli Dudley, in front of the Bond Wales Air Ambulance - two great friends who supported me every step of the way on our 40km route

 

By writing to all of the eight Lord Lieutenants of Wales and to the Chief Executives of the Voluntary Youth Organisations, we were able to spread the word that we aspired to champion HRH The Prince of Wales' Young Dragons Partnership.

 

 

 

The response we received was tremendous and we were joined by representatives from numerous youth organisations including;

 

 

 

On the final day we were joined by both Scouts and Girl Guides;

 

 

With Scouts on the Final Day of our WAAT4 Challenge

 

 

With Girl Guides on the Final Day of our WAAT4 Challenge

 

Objective 2.

 

• Showcase how the combination of budding youths, inspirational BRIT Mentors and community-focused youth organisations can give young people new focus and confidence

I have received super feedback from the organisations involved that their young people enjoyed themselves and felt that their involvement was an achievement.  Under testing weather conditions and with a tough route, every young person who joined us did so well.  We all found the challenge exhausting and everyone showed spirit, determination and a positive attitude throughout.  I hope they will spread the word and encourage their friends to take a look at their respective youth organisations and will also support their community based charities.  The young students who joined us from their schools in Swansea were also a delight to spend time with and I was delighted that they were able to participate.

 

Having BRIT Mentors, Sally Kettle and Oli Dudley, with us was a great way to show how inspirational figures from the British Inspiration Trust are willing to spend time with young people and raise their self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth.

 

 

 

Thanks to inspirational BRIT Mentors, Oli Dudley and Sally Kettle, who spent time with the young people who joined us

 

Objective 3.

 



• Raise awareness of the Young Dragons and help them to identify Young Representatives to act as ambassadors for the organisations within the "Young Dragons"

On completion of the WAAT4 Challenge, all 560 adult competitors gathered for the prize-giving.  I was grateful for the opportunity to address the competitors and explain more about the Young Dragons.  We were joined by many young representatives from the Young Dragons organisations and they acted as great ambassadors for their organisations.  I hope that they will talk about their experience on the Brecon Beacons and if the opportunity arises in the future for participation in this, or a similar event, they will encourage others to take part.

 

 

Ready to descend on the final stages of the WAAT4 Challenge in testing conditions

 

I found the WAAT4 Challenge tough.  The weather tested us and I was so impressed that every young person who joined us had prepared for the event and remained positive throughout each day.  It was a arduous event and we had great fun.  Many congratulations to everyone who took part; it was a real achievement and I was very happy to see that every young person respected the Brecon Beacons, the support team around us the opportunity we had been given.

 

 

With my great friends, Lieutenant Colonel John Maddison MBE Royal Marines and Mrs Karen Maddison, at the end of our Challenge.

 

John was an absolute rock to me during the challenge and he gifted a great deal of his time outside of work for months, pre-event, to coordinate with Dyfed-Powys Police.  John took a huge amount of pressure off of me by assisting with administration, equipment, mapping of the route and linking in with everyone at Brecon, including all the voluntary youth organisations.  His support was vital to me and I ma immensely grateful for everything he did to make our challenge such a success.  I was delighted that John's wife, Karen, was able to join us for the final day. 

 

 

Receiving my WAAT4 Challenge Medal at the end of three days and 40kms on the Brecon Beacons.

 

Thanks to Richard Jackson and Gary Philpott for inviting me and for being so accommodating to allow our BRIT Young Dragons Team to participate.  We were looked after from the moment we arrived and the whole event was a hugely uplifting and positive experience for us all.

 

 Special thanks must go to Chris Lines at Right Lines Communications for coordinating our Berghaus sponsorship and to Liam Burns at New Balance for providing us with all our clothing to deal with the conditions on the Brecon Beacons. Their support was extraordinarily generous and I am sincerely grateful to have their continued assistance on my physical challenges.

 

 

 

To support Wales Air Ambulance please click here; http://www.walesairambulance.com/ 

 

 







 

 

To support Brecon Mountain Rescue, please click here; http://www.breconmrt.co.uk/ 

 

 

 

To find out more about HRH The Prince of Wales' Young Dragons Partnership, please click here;

 

http://www.youngdragons.org.uk/ 

 

With kind regards,

 

Phil

 



Day 2 of the BRIT / Young Dragons WAAT4 Challenge

What a great start to Day 2 of our Young Dragons WAAT4 Challenge with a reception from Pontarddulais Comprehensive, Dylan Thomas School, Llanelli Young Fire Fighters and Brecon Mountain Rescue

 

 

Young People from Pontarddulais Comprehensive, Dylan Thomas School, Llanelli Young Fire Fighters and Brecon Mountain Rescue

 

Day 2 of our climb started with a sharp descent and then a long ascent up towards the summit of

Pen y Fan.  The Young Dragons were a tremendous support; both encouraging and patient as I found a rhythm to climb the mountain.

 

 

Army Cadets from HRH The Prince of Wales' Young Dragons Partnership who kept me company on the climb up to the summit of Pen y Fan

 

 

A quick group photo with Llanelli Young Fire Fighters and Army Cadets before we started our climb

 

Pen y Fan is situated in the stunning Brecon Beacons within the Brecon Beacons National Park http://www.breconbeacons.org/ It was a fitting that we met a Helen, a member of the National Trust, who was spending the summer working on the walking path leading up to the summit of Pen y Fan.

 

 

Stopping to talk to Helen from The National Trust who was working on looking after the walking path leading up to the summit of Pen y Fan

 

It was great fun to talk to the students who joined me today and had travelled all the way from Swansea.  The young students were from Year 10 and talked about their subject choices and their future career aspirations.

 

 

Enjoying the company of young people from Pontarddulais Comprehensive and Dylan Thomas School as we walked up towards the summit

 

As we approached the summit of Pen y Fan the weather closed in and visibility was limited.  Throughout the day we were supported and looked after by Brecon Mountain Rescue Team who not only ensured our safety, but spent a great deal of time talking to the Young Dragons.

 

 

Spending time with members of the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team who have been with us all the way throughout these past two days.  It has been a pleasure to meet them all.

 

When the whole team, comprising of Young Dragons, Dyfed-Powys Police, Brecon Mountain Rescue and BRIT Mentors, reached the summit, we decided to make a "Y" (with our arms) for the Young Dragons Partnership

 

 

Reaching the summit of Pen y Fan on Day 2 of our WAAT4 Challenge

 

 

With Lieutenant Colonel John Maddison MBE, BRIT Mentor, Sally Kettle, Carmen and BRIT Mentor, Oli Dudley, on the summit of Pen y Fan

 

The descent of Pen y Fan was steep and my balance was severely affected by fatigue and the limitations of my mobility.  John, Oli & Sally were there to assist me every step of the way to look after me and lend a helping hand when I needed them.  The last thing I wanted to do was fall and injury myself with another day of the WAAT4 Challenge tomorrow. 

 

 

John and Sally helping me with my balance

 

 

Oli giving me his arm to assist me as we negotiated the steep descent and uneven ground

 

We had some great fun today and were surrounded by Young Dragons and students who raised everyone's moral with their positive attitudes and sense of humour. We even took time to have some fun.

 

 

With Oli, Carmen and Sally part way through our descent.

 

 

Relaxing with students who joined us today and made Day 2 of our WAAT4 Challenge an unforgettable experience.

 

 

Thanks to the Llanelli Young Fire Fighters who joined us today; great to meet them and I wish them the very best of luck with their aspirations to serve with Fire & Rescue

 

The support I have received over the past few days has been so uplifting.  Everyone involved has given me such a boost and it's a delight to see everyone working so well together and looking after each other.

 

 

With Brecon Mountain Rescue and students from Pontarddulais Comprehensive & Dylan Thomas School

 

 

With Young Dragons and Students at the end of Day 2 of the WAAT4 Challenge

 

Today was another unforgettable experience and I feel privileged to have been supported by so many students and Voluntary Youth Organisations.  Dyfed Powys Police and Brecon Mountain Rescue have been marvellous and I am sincerely grateful to everyone who has made this challenge possible.

I'm looking forward to our final day tomorrow when we will meet the competitors of the WAAT4 Challenge and celebrate a fantastic event that is a vital fundraiser for Wales Air Ambulance, Brecon Mountain Rescue and many other charities that need our support.

 

With best wishes,

 

Phil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The first day of our WAAT 4 Challenge

The first organisation we met today was Wales Air Ambulance http://www.walesairambulance.com/

 

 

Wales Air Ambulance is an all Wales charity providing emergency air cover for those who face life-threatening illness or injuries.

 

 

 Their  mission is to aid the relief of sickness and injury, and the protection of human life, by the provision of an air ambulance service across Wales.

 

 Their vision is to provide a 24-hour air ambulance operation, and continually strive for an outstanding air ambulance service available to everyone in Wales.

 

 

With Helen from Wales Air Ambulance, together with BRIT Mentors, Sally Kettle and Oli Dudley

 

It was also a pleasure to meet Brecon Mountain Rescue http://www.breconmrt.co.uk/

 

 

Brecon Mountain Rescue Team is an emergency service staffed entirely by volunteers and funded by donation. 

 

 

 

 

 Their work is not restricted to mountain and wilderness search and rescue for climbers and hill walkers: their skills are also deployed by the police to search for vulnerable or missing persons in the community where they can employ their specialist medical and rescue techniques.

 

 

With members of Brecon Mountain Rescue Team

 

Members of Brecon Mountain Rescue Team volunteered to look after our Young Dragons team today and it was a delight to spend time together; I was particularly grateful when they took the time to show members of the Young Dragons and students their vehicles and equipment. They are looking after us for the next few days and both the BRIT Team and I, are sincerely grateful for all their support.

 

 

The WAAT4 Challenge http://www.waat4.co.uk/ is coordinated by Dyfed Powys Police http://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/

 

Since arriving yesterday afternoon, the hospitality we have been shown has been both very warm and far too generous.  We have been accommodated in The Castle Hotel http://www.breconcastle.co.uk/who have reduced their room rates considerably for the duration of our stay.

 

Gary, the WAAT4 Coordinator, the WAAT4 Organising Committee and Dyfed Powys Police could not have been more kind and helpful since our arrival.

 

 

My core BRIT Team and Gary Philpott, the WAAT4 Coordinator

 

I was delighted that we were joined by Police Cadets from Gwent this morning and it was great to talk to the cadets and learn more about their work and their future aspirations.

 

 

Soaked through, but very happy to have spent the morning with Police Cadets based in Gwent and within members of Dyfed-Powys Police

 

 

 

We met this morning at Brecon Rugby Club http://www.breconrfc.co.uk/ who have been instrumental to hosting the WAAT4 Challenge on their grounds.

 

It was a super start to the day to meet so many Young Dragons from their respective youth organisations, together with so many students.

 

 

 

 

With Young Dragons and students from Pontarddulais Comprehensive School and Dylan Thomas School 

 

Many thanks to Pontarddulais Comprehensive School http://www.pontcomp.swansea.sch.uk/ and Dylan Thomas Community School https://swansea-edunet.gov.uk/en/schools/dylanthomas/Pages/Default.aspx who joined us today and were great company.

 

 

With some of the Army Cadets and students who joined us today

 

Today was wet, but a thoroughly enjoyable day throughout. We had a great time and I am grateful to everyone who supported me .

 

 

Receiving a plaque (& super support) from Christ College, Brecon

 

 

Feeling the inclines on Day 1 of my WAAT4 Challenge, but at the same time, receiving super support throughout from South Wales Police 

 

I am so grateful to everyone for their support today. A tough first day and I'm a little sore, but it was well worth every step to meet so many Young Dragons and young people from Wales.  One of  my good friends and BRIT Mentors, Oli Dudley, grabbed me for a quick interview straight after finishing today's stage;

 

 

(Hoping to upload the video as soon as possible)

 

 

Today we completed 14 kilometres of our 40 kilometre total.  An 8 mile route today was a marathon equivalent and I am very happy with how we did; particularly with such arduous terrain.  It was a great achievement for everyone who took part.

 

Thank you all so much for your support.

 

Best wishes,

 

Phil