MONMOUTH rowers were delighted to present a giant cheque for £6,000 to Velindre Cancer Centre at Monmouth Rowing Club’s AGM this week.

The club nominated Velindre, where one of the club members Colin Lewis recently received treatment for cancer, as the club’s nominated charity for 2016 - the first time they have supported a specific charity.

Club members threw themselves into the fundraising. They held a "Row to Rio" challenge to coincide with the run-up to the Olympics, recording all their sessions on the river and the rowing machine, and rowed the equivalent of Monmouth to Rio and back by the time the games began. A small group of dedicated rowers (including Lewis himself, by then sufficiently recovered to compete) headed to Utrecht and raised an impressive £4,000 in a 90km race, and at the club’s regatta and head races, 50p from every seat went to the charity.

At the AGM, Colin Lewis paid tribute to the club and the events committee for supporting the idea. He said: “Velindre is close to my heart," he said. "I know I’m not the only person here who’s been affected by cancer, and we should be proud as a club of what we’ve done for Velindre. I hope we’ll do more next year.”

Michael Locke from Velindre offered his thanks on behalf of the Cancer Centre. He added: “Velindre has a great reputation for its research, treatment and nursing care. It’s almost surreal to work there; people are going through sad times but there’s such a positive atmosphere, and it’s fantastic to see people like Colin getting fully recovered. Velindre wouldn’t be the place it is without people like you guys.”

The club has nominated the Alzheimer’s Society as its nominated charity for 2017, to recognise the enormous contribution of its former chairman, John Hartland, now suffering from Alzheimer’s, whose drive and dedication to Monmouth rowing was a huge part of the club’s current success.