NFU Cymru received the Dennis Brown Shield at R.A.B.I’s annual awards ceremony for its mammoth Hike and Bike challenge.

NFU Cymru director John Mercer, Kevin Owen and Sarah Thomas were presented the award by NFU Vice President Stuart Roberts at the ceremony. Around 230 people attended the event in Oxfordshire, which recognised the efforts of R.A.B.I’s supporters throughout the year.

The award is given to the organisation that makes the biggest contribution to the charity throughout the year. The two-day Hike and Bike challenge, held in September 2018, raised close to £23,000.

Day one of the challenge saw the core team of 29 people hike Snowdon, cycle 43 miles to Dolgellau and then climb Cadair Idris. After a night’s rest, they cycled 87 miles to the Brecon Beacons before finishing the challenge with a hike up Pen-Y-Fan.

Joshua Hosier, R.A.B.I’s deputy chairman, said: “There are challenges and then there are challenges. When John Mercer told us he was going to get together a team to do a challenge for us we were thrilled. We never anticipated just how big the challenge would be though.

“It’s difficult to convey the enormity of the challenge itself, even more so the phenomenal amount of time and hard work that went into the organisation. John, Kevin Owen and Sarah Thomas did an incredible job pulling together all the details of how it would work, finding participants, sponsors and raising funds.”

Pictured at the top are (L-R) Malcolm Thomas, John Mercer, Sarah Thomas and Kevin Owen – photo by Kevin Milner. Pictured in the centre is the Hike and Bike team.

Find out more about the awards ceremony.