Image says My Favourite Voucher Codes

Your Vote Matters – Empower Young Lives in March with a Click!

Posted by Challenge Wales on

Can you help Challenge Wales in the My Favourite Voucher Codes Charity Poll, that is running throughout March 2025. It’s free to enter and could help change a young person’s life.

[Edit 1st April] – Thank you to everyone who voted for us, we came second place which wasn’t enough to secure the funding but to be fair there were four amazing charities doing really important work that were vying for everyone’s votes!

The sea, a vast and powerful force, has long been a catalyst for transformation. At Challenge Wales, we harness this power to equip young individuals with vital life skills, fostering resilience, teamwork, and self-discovery. In March 2025, YOU have the unique opportunity to amplify our impact by participating in the My Favourite Voucher Codes monthly charity poll. Your vote will directly contribute to our mission of providing life-changing outdoor learning experiences at sea.

Understanding My Favourite Voucher Codes: A Partnership for Positive Change

My Favourite Voucher Codes operates as a conduit between consumers and charitable causes. Beyond its function as a provider of discount codes and online savings, the platform demonstrates a commendable commitment to social responsibility. Each month, 20% of their profits is donated to a charity, determined by a public vote.

Each month, visitors to the site get to choose between 4 nominated charities, and vote for the one they want to see win the donation. At the end of the month, the charity with the most votes, wins!

This month, March 2025, Challenge Wales are hoping to be the next good cause to win the MFVC charity poll. But Challenge Wales can’t do this without you!

The Transformative Impact of Your Vote: Investing in Future Generations

Challenge Wales is not merely about sailing; it is about cultivating essential life skills within a challenging and immersive environment. Our activities are designed to address the specific needs of young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who often lack access to transformative experiences and opportunities. Through sailing we foster teamwork and communication skills, develop leadership skills, improve mental health and wellbeing, resilience and improve self-confidence and self-esteem. The predominantly volunteer-run charity helps young people develop their employability skills, brings STEM subjects and Ocean Literacy to life enabling them to reach their potential and have a brighter future.

The funds secured through the My Favourite Voucher Codes poll will contribute towards:

  • Operating the Challenge Wales sail training vessel, enabling more young people to have the opportunity to have a life-enhancing experience
  • Helping make activities more accessible through the Challenge Wales bursary fund

How to Cast Your Vote: A Simple and Accessible Process

Participating in the My Favourite Voucher Codes charity poll is a straightforward and accessible process – it’s free and you don’t have to sign up to anything either. During the month of March 2025, please follow these steps:

  1. Head to the Website: Visit the My Favourite Voucher Codes website at https://www.myfavouritevouchercodes.co.uk/.
  2. Locate the Charity Poll: Identify the charity poll section, this will appear on the right hand side of the page or at the bottom of the page. If using your phone to vote you may have to scroll down to the bottom of the page.
  3. Select Challenge Wales: Find Challenge Wales within the list of participating charities.
  4. Cast Your Vote: Click the designated vote button adjacent to our charity’s name ‘Challenge Wales’.

This simple action will contribute to our potential to secure vital funding. It is important to remember that voting is completely free, and no purchase or sign up is needed.

A Call to Action: Your Vote Matters

Your vote represents a tangible investment in the future of young people. By participating in the My Favourite Voucher Codes charity poll in March 2025 and voting for Challenge Wales you are directly contributing to our mission of empowering young individuals through transformative outdoor learning experiences. Visit https://www.myfavouritevouchercodes.co.uk/ in March 2025 and cast your vote for Challenge Wales.

A Message of Gratitude: Sailing Towards a Brighter Future

We extend our sincere gratitude for your support. Your commitment to our mission enables us to provide life-changing opportunities for young people, fostering a brighter future for individuals and communities alike. Together, we can harness the power of the sea to create lasting positive change.

Epic 3,000 mile fundraising row for Challenge Wales by Cardiff Dad

Posted by Challenge Wales on

Stalked by a sea creature, facing 40ft waves and facing sleep deprivation was a challenging and adventurous way to raise vital funds for local sail training charity, Challenge Wales.

Cardiff resident and Challenge Wales supporter, John Solosy set sail in a 28 foot vessel with 3 of his friends in December in a mammoth effort to raise £100,000 for 4 charities, including Challenge Wales.

Faced with fierce storms, being stalked by a 15-foot marlin with a very sharp, sword-like bill, rowing in excess of 1.5 million strokes during the race and eating 7,000 calories a day John had trained for two years for this epic adventure yet five months earlier had knee replacement surgery. Where this might have put off some people, John saw it as physiotherapy that was making a big difference!

Pic credit: The World’s Toughest Row

The team ‘The Big Oardeal’ took part in the World’s Toughest Row and pushed their physical and mental boundaries with remarkable levels of resilience and dedication. The four crewmates (including another John from Cardiff and James & Richard from Norfolk started the race in the Canary Islands and 41 days, 6 hours and 44 minutes later crossed the finish line in Antigua.

So why did John row the Atlantic? John said: “Rowing the Atlantic will be a test unlike anything I have ever attempted. I am fascinated to see how the challenge pushes me emotionally, mentally and physically while still trying to enjoy the beauty of being in the middle of the Ocean. When growing up the outdoors provided a great way to escape from the challenges of being a teenager in the London suburbs and since then I have loved the peace, tranquillity and challenges that the outdoor provides. Challenge Wales provides a unique opportunity for young people to develop their personal skills and life skills in an exhilarating environment, creating truly life-changing opportunities that will not only help the individuals who participate but also those around them. What better charity could there be to align myself to.”

Vicky Williams, Co-Founder and Manager of Challenge Wales said ” From everyone at Challenge Wales, we would like to congratulate the Big Oardeal for their epic achievement of rowing across the Atlantic and raising over £25,000 for the Challenge Wales charity. Myself and the Challenge Wales Team followed their journey every day on social media and on the boat tracker and we gathered ourselves around the laptop to watch them cross the finish line live. We are incredibly grateful for John and his 3 amazing team mates for what they did and their support has never been so important to small charities like us. The funding will help us to enable more disadvantaged young people to have a life-enhancing personal development opportunity through our outdoor education programme at sea. Our programme has a huge impact and helps young people face challenges, improves mental health, enhances teamwork and communication skills, increases their awareness of ocean literacy and improves resilience – although the rowers would have experienced the same on their boat at least when onboard Challenge Wales, we can stop in port and also have fun learning shore-side.“

Watch Big Oardeal’s amazing journey here. (courtesy of World’s Toughest Row)

To donate to the Big Oardeal Team and John [Solosy’s] fundraising for Challenge Wales visit; The Big Oardeal’s JustGiving page.

Half Marathon Fundraising

Posted by Challenge Wales on

Challenge Wales Trustee, Vicky Williams, is brushing off her running shoes and fundraising on Sunday 2nd October in the Cardiff Half Marathon to raise funds for Challenge Wales.

COVID has reduced the number of voyages operating this year and with the cost of living increases, Challenge Wales knows that it is going to need to raise more funds to enable more people to tap into its bursary scheme. The bursary scheme enables young people to have some of their voyage fees paid for them making access to Challenge Wales’ services easier.

“The impact of Challenge Wales’ activities has literally turned lives around” said Vicky. “One of our case studies is Jimmy: Jimmy went on a 5 day voyage with Challenge Wales. At the time he was struggling with drug addiction, no motivation and hanging around with the wrong people. During the 5 day voyage a huge change was seen in Jimmy. The voyage allowed him to escape negativity and with the supportive, positive, crew helping him to achieve. Jimmy said on the last day of his voyage he wanted to turn his life around. In the last 12 months Jimmy has now done that. He has moved away from drugs, he has cut out negativity in his life and volunteers to help the homeless. Jimmy came back to Challenge Wales for a 1 day voyage (14 months after his first voyage) to show the Challenge Wales crew how much he changed since his first voyage and show the impact of sail training. Jimmy thanked the Challenge Wales team for giving him a second chance.”

Anyone wishing to donate to Challenge Wales, and sponsor Vicky, can visit the JustGiving page here. And, if you are on the Cardiff Half Marathon course, keep your eye out for Vicky and give her and all the other runners a cheer and a wave.

More case studies on the impact of sail training on Challenge Wales can be found here.

There’s FUN in our FUNdraising

Posted by Challenge Wales on

It was a day of fundraising on the water as Challenge Wales joined no fewer than 1,116 boats that had entered the iconic Round the Island Race.

A Race, around the Isle of Wight, that started in 1931 with just 25 boats, it has now become one of the largest yacht races in the world and a fantastic spectacle to watch from the water or the land.

Round the Island Race brings in much needed funds into the Challenge Wales charity and while adults onboard, who have paid for a berth, are having fun racing, by racing they are actually supporting young people to come on board for our youth development activities, which takes learning outside the classroom and out to sea, as all profits go to directly support the Challenge Wales charity.

For some it was their first time racing but the teamwork, communication, leadership, resilience and comraderie that is required in a race is exactly what is needed onboard Challenge Wales when sailing with young people. Throw in whatever the weather is going to bring and a sprinkle of fun and jumping onboard our boat, into sometimes the unknown, becomes a fantastic, memorable experience.

Challenge Wales was racing against two other Challenge 72’s and beat them across the finish line, being the 35th boat in the race to finish and finishing in a time of 6 hours 31 minutes and 31 seconds, one of her quickest times.

Challenge Wales is no stranger to racing as although she raced around the world twice, her youth work activities take her overseas Tall Ships Racing where she is crewed by 16 – 25 year olds as well as Small Ships Racing in the UK.

Of those onboard were four young people, aged 18 – 25, who were part of the team, all of whom had sailed before on Challenge Wales on previous one day or longer residential voyages.

With COVID restrictions stopping us taking part in this event in 2020 and 2021 it is a big thank you to everyone who jumped onboard to make Round the Island Race a special one for us!

To check out some of the highlights from the day (and Challenge Wales does make a couple of appearances) check out the highlights video here.

____________________________________________________________

If you are interested in joining us for an adult voyage, corporate activity or you are wanting to learn more about our youth work and young persons outdoor education programme then visit www.challengewales.org

Run For Us In The Virtual London Marathon

Posted by Challenge Wales on

Are you ready to take on the virtual Virgin Money London Marathon for #TeamChallengeWales and by doing so support more young people to participate in our life-changing youth development programme?

The London Marathon is one of the most iconic running events in the world and now it’s your turn to be part of its history.

When: Sunday 3rd October 2021
Where: Anywhere
Start / Finish of event: 00:00hrs – 23:59:59hrs (BST)

This year the Virgin Money London Marathon is set to be the world’s largest marathon with 100,000 participants. 50,000 taking part on the streets of London (in the traditional London Marathon from Blackheath to the Mall) and 50,000 taking part around the world in the virtual London Marathon.

You can join us on the course of your choice; round your neighbourhood, through Cardiff, Plymouth or Aberdeen, it’s your choice, it’s your course. You will have almost 24 hours to run, walk or jog the 26.2 miles which makes the virtual Virgin London Marathon really achievable for all abilities.

Registration Fee: £20
Sponsorship Pledge: £200

The Sponsorship Pledge is the minimum amount of sponsorship (not including Gift Aid) we would like our virtual London Marathon runners, joggers and walkers to aim to achieve although it can be more than this.

To help you achieve the distance, the London Marathon app will help you bring the virtual experience to life, with an exclusive audio commentary featuring famous voices!

How to sign up and be part of #TeamChallengeWales
If you would like to join #TeamChallengeWales and be part of the Virtual London Marathon then please APPLY HERE.
We will then be in touch to advise how to pay your registration fee and then we will help you set up your fundraising page for donations. Please note we have 5 virtual places for the 2021 London Marathon and runners need to be registered by 16:00hrs 16th July 2021
We will then promote your fundraising page on our social media channels and website to help you raise even more! It’s that simple.

If you would like to speak to us about a virtual place then please email the office.

If you’ve got your own place in the Virgin Money London Marathon why not run for Challenge Wales?

How money raised will help disadvantaged young people?
Challenge Wales is a predominantly volunteer-run charity that works with disadvantage young people enabling them to develop their life skills to improve their potential and prospects in life. Our activities at sea onboard our two sail training vessels develop teamwork skills, communication skills, improve self-confidence and improve mental health. Skills that are necessary to help young people move into work, education or training. Your donations and sponsorship will enable Challenge Wales to continue its programme of voyages and work with more young people who need focus and direction and opportunities to help them to succeed. To find out more, why not read some of our case studies.

Captain Tom 100 image

Captain Tom 100 Challenge: Be part of the legacy and support Challenge Wales

Posted by Challenge Wales on

In April 2020, Captain Tom inspired the nation by walking 100 laps around his garden for the NHS. Now, you can build on that legacy from 30th April – 3rd May as people from all over the world fundraise for their favourite charities including Challenge Wales.

What is the Captain Tom 100?
It would have been Sir Captain Tom Moore’s 101st birthday on Friday 30th April 2021. To mark this date and as part of the legacy, the Captain Tom 100 is about getting people to dream up a fundraising activity based on ‘100’ between 30th April and 3rd May 2021. It can be any activity as long as it complies with Government guidelines at the time.

How to get involved in the Captain Tom 100
Make up a challenge based on 100 at any time during Captain Tom’s birthday weekend (30th April – 3rd May). To help you, we’ve come up with some ideas:
* Walk 100 metres
* Bake 100 vegan cookies
* Cycle 100km’s
* 100 keepy uppies
* Go up and down your stairs 100 times
* Read 100 pages of your favourite book
* Pick up 100 pieces of litter
* 100 minute silence or 100 minutes telling jokes!

Once you have thought up your Captain Tom 100 fundraising challenge for Challenge Wales, you can set up a fundraising page here with JustGiving or a fundraising page here with VirginMoneyGiving. Both fundraising platforms link directly to Challenge Wales and will enable Challenge Wales to support disadvantaged young people on their outdoor learning skills development programme.

Then shout about your fundraising on social media using #CaptainTom100 and encourage others to support and sponsor you. Remember to share your fundraising links as far as you can!

Need some more inspiration? Download a list of 100 ideas to get you started.

Why should I support Challenge Wales?
Challenge Wales supports young people through its outdoor learning programme. By taking young people to sea, regardless of their background or ability, Challenge Wales helps develop the life skills and employability skills of young people to improve their prospects. Since March 2020 the Charity has been unable to operate due to COVID but knows it will play a part in a post-covid world particularly as its activities are shown to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people. Money raised will ensure we can reach out to young people who would benefit from our services. If you aren’t able to take part in a fundraising event but would like to make a secure donation you can also do that here.

A Fundraising Birthday Head Shave

Posted by Challenge Wales on

How many people would celebrate their birthday by helping three charities and raising over £1,000!

Emma Taylor had sailed with Challenge Wales as a Trainee when she was 18 years old on one of the charity’s Youth Development Voyages which helped her develop her confidence, teamwork and communication skills as well as how to work with other people. Emma then came back and volunteered with Challenge Wales to help pass on what she had learnt onto other young people before setting up her own dog training business.

Emma had been growing her hair for as long as she can remember and felt she wanted to donate it to The Little Princess Trust who make wigs for young people who have lost their hair due to illness. In addition she was shaving her hair and raising money for Challenge Wales and Medical Detection Dogs who detect diseases such as cancer.

The fundraising head shave was filmed live on Facebook and it’s a big thanks to Blu Hair Design who gave their time to cut the hair. Thank You!

Although Emma has exceed her £1,000 target she knows that raising even more money will benefit both Challenge Wales and Medical Detection Dogs to have a bigger impact with their work.

If you wish to make a donation you can do that here through VirginMoneyGiving where you can Gift Aid your donation too!

Challenge Wales charity sponsored head shave
Tall Ships Racing 2018

Nominate someone for a Tall Ships adventure

Posted by Challenge Wales on

Challenge Wales is on the hunt for four deserving young people to take up a fully funded place in the spectacular Tall Ships Races 2019, and is encouraging those aged  15 – 25 years to apply.

The award-winning charity operates a small bursary scheme to subsidise UK residents to take part in its activities however, extra funding from the Cardiff Round Table this year is enabling Challenge Wales to offer four fully funded places, to those living in a CF postcode area across three of the Tall Ships legs this summer which will race in Denmark and Norway.  You can find out more by reading our Tall Ships Races Information pack.

Fully funded berths are going to be offered to those young people who are nominated and are truly deserving of a place onboard for an amazing life-changing adventure. Young people can nominate themselves or ask a teacher, parent/guardian, employer, relative or group leader to nominate them.

Successful applicants will be joining the rest of the crew and racing against other Tall Ships from the international Tall Ships fleet and will be representing Wales and the UK at these spectacular events, and no sailing experience is required to take part.

The charity is looking for young people who are wanting an adventure and are up for a challenge. Those taking part are actively running the boat, so it’s not just sailing but also cooking, cleaning and working in watches! There is lots of fun onboard too and there is a host of shore-side inter-crew activities organised as well at the end of the race.

How To Apply:

Anyone aged 15 – 25 years can contact us themselves to apply but we are also encouraging teachers, colleagues, employees, group leaders, parents and friends to nominate others, aged 15 – 25, for this opportunity who might benefit. Perhaps someone has been working hard for exams or at work and needs a break, maybe someone has had a tough few months, it might be someone who hasn’t been able to have a holiday for a few years or someone who would enjoy an adventure, challenge and experiencing new cultures. Applicants must have a valid passport.
You can download an application form here or get an application form / further details by emailing the Challenge Wales office reservations@challengewales.org  or call 029 20 704 657.

Deadline for applications is 15th May 2019.

A CF postcode area is found in Wales and is a group of postcode districts around Aberdare, Bargoed, Barry, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Cowbridge, Dinas Powys, Ferndale, Hengoed, Llantwit Major, Maesteg, Merthyr Tydfil, Mountain Ash, Penarth, Pentre, Pontyclun, Pontypridd, Porth, Porthcawl, Rhoose, Sully, Tonypandy, Treharris, Treorchy.
Successful applicants will need to write a voyage report and blog about their time onboard the boat and be available for publicity as well as completing before and after voyage surveys. Challenge Wales works hard to secure funding for its activities and any person awarded funding is required to write a thank you to the funder. There is a £35 refundable deposit to reserve a berth, this is refunded after the voyage.

As with all our voyages, our booking terms and conditions apply.

Other bursary funding is available for  UK residents for Tall Ships Racing if you are not eligible for the above and you should email Challenge Wales to see what funding is available or read our Bursaries page.

If you are a company or charity wishing to support young people to take part in other postcode areas/regions then please contact the Challenge Wales office to discuss this opportunity.

Challenge Wales volunteers evening at Crepe Escape

Festive Evening Celebrates Challenge Wales Volunteers

Posted by Challenge Wales on

It was a festive thank you to the amazing Challenge Wales volunteers who’ve donated thousands of hours of their time this year.

Volunteers gathered at the award-winning restaurant Crepe Escape, in Penarth, as Trustees of the charity said a big thank you to those who have helped Challenge Wales this year in delivering voyages, fundraising and maintenance activities.

It’s the volunteers who are working with the young people through accredited onboard learning or our life skills development programme and giving up lots of their time to help others, and then coming back time and time again.

Challenge Wales Trustee, Vicky shared just a few of the amazing achievements that had happened in 2018. In particular, the launch of the second vessel Adventure Wales and starting a sail training programme in North Wales, launching an environmental accredited programme at the Volvo Ocean Race Stopover in Cardiff, doing our first group litter pick to raise awareness of one-use plastic getting into the marine environment and representing Wales and the UK at the spectacular Tall Ships Races.

Without our volunteers, these activities just wouldn’t be happening and our sail training programme wouldn’t be growing.

It was great to see familiar faces and new volunteers getting festive and the charity is now looking forward to an exciting 2019 as it celebrates its 10th birthday!!

Challenge Wales volunteers evening 2018

Round the Island Race Success

Posted by Challenge Wales on

A 5.00am wake up call, a 5.30am departure from the pontoon and a 6.30am race start didn’t dampen spirits on Challenge Wales | Wales’ Tall Ship today, and after just over 11 and  a half hours Challenge Wales crossed the finish line in the famous Round the Island Race.

In what is the largest yacht race, with over 1,200 boats taking part and with around 10,000 participants taking to the water it really is  a spectacle like no other whether you are onboard or in the crowds watching and, if you are not doing either of those then following the fleet on the website race tracker can be pretty addictive too.

An early start for Challenge Wales crew means seeing a lovely sunrise

Challenge Wales, as a Class 0 vessel, was in the first group to start and as the cannon went off (fired with the press of a button by Dame Ellen MacArthur) it was a moment of excitement for everyone. For some of those on Challenge Wales it was their first Round the Island Race, while others had raced multiple times. But that didn’t matter as the exhilaration, anticipation and excitement was just the same.  Every 10 minutes for well over an hour another class of vessels would be facing the start line. Challenge Wales was the last of the Challenge 72 yachts to cross the start line. That gave us a bad start and in light airs which would be reducing through the morning, a bad start wasn’t what was needed.

The Challenge Wales charity uses Round the Island Race as one of its adult fundraisers which helps raise awareness of the sail training charity and also helps bring in revenue into the organisation to support our youth development programme, providing life skills to young people. It’s also one of the only opportunities where you will get to see several Challenge 72 yachts racing together against each other. And a great teambuilding event for companies, colleagues, friends or someone on their own to join in with.

An hour and a half into the race and we were making good progress and swapping places with the other Challenge boats.

As we went past the Needles, the spinnaker came out and as a spectator it is quite spectacular too see hundreds and hundreds of boats, all shapes and sizes turning into a mass of colour.

Pic of Challenge Wales  by Paul Wyeth on Round the Island Race website

Although we seemed well ahead of the other Challenge Boats we knew with light airs and tide it could be anyone’s race.

Challenge Wales managed to make good use of the wind and having a competitive skipper and team onboard and sailed ahead of the other Challenge 72’s.

At 1515hrs it looked like we were well ahead of the other Challenge 72’s but that almost changed as we ended up with little wind

A couple of hours later the wind dropped and it wasn’t until a couple of hours after that the wind started to pick up and we were able to gain some speed again and get across the finish line.

We finished the race,  beating again the other Challenge 72’s and the Clipper fleet, a few minutes after 1800hrs. Our elapsed time was 11 hours 34 minutes and 36 seconds, 18th in class and 283rd overall (which we don’t think is too bad seeing that 1,204 vessels started!). Here’s to next year…maybe!?