A pair of Llanwrtyd Wells fundraisers recently raised over £1,500 for the local community by cycling nearly 100 miles to Aberystwyth and back.

Business owners Ian O’Brien and Rebecca Strickland completed their cycle on Sunday, 31 August, to a hero’s welcome as they pedalled back into town with residents cheering and clapping them.

They decided to raise money for the Dolwen Fields play park improvement project after a conversation they had. “I was chatting to Ian and Lorna (Ian’s wife), and said ‘come on, let’s raise some money, let’s go to Aberystwyth and back!’ So we cycled there Saturday and stayed the night and cycled back Sunday,” said Rebecca.

Rebecca runs a shop in Llanwrtyd Wells called Cupboards and Cakes, with Ian and his wife Lorna running the Bryncelyn Guesthouse, a bed and breakfast hotel opposite Cupboards and Cakes.

Rebecca and Ian tackled some tricky terrain on their way to and from Aberystwyth on not the most ideal equipment. Before the cycle Ian said: “We are not professional cyclists. Becky's bike has a big basket on it and mine is like something from Last of the Summer Wine, and this will be quite a challenge!

The pair had set a target of £300, but far exceeded that with online and in person donations, raising around £1,500.

‘The play park project’ in Llanwrtyd Wells was created to make improvements at Dolwen Fields after the play park became dilapidated and wood began to rot due to rain. The project has managed to gain some funding to allow for renovation works to begin through the efforts of local fundraiser, Ebony Halliwell, who secured a community payback scheme to carry out the repairs.

The hope is that the improvements will be to the betterment of the community with the children of Llanwrtyd Wells enjoying a better and safer play park.

Rebecca told the Brecon & Radnor Express: “We specifically fundraised for painting, repairing and cleaning all that’s existing and the fence work and grounds work. We were asked to raise £300, but we raised £1,500 which shows how supportive everybody is in the community with things being improved.

“Any money that doesn’t get used for what we raised it for will go into buying more equipment which I believe is imminent.”

Talking about the lengthy bike ride, she said: “I love cycling and it was nearly 100 miles compared to the 80 miles we had originally thought! That Saturday night, we had a really nice meal and a couple of beers and cycled back the next morning, so it was all good fun.

“With some of the other fundraising efforts, people don’t see it happening, so we put a few posts out on social media and the support of the town was amazing. We were cheered into town on our way back all along the road! We live in such a lovely community here and this little thing has really shown how together everyone is.”