‘It’s very special to me’: Welsh fundraiser Cath bakes mum’s bara brith to give back to Macmillan

Nation Cymru staff

A Welsh fundraiser is baking her mum’s bara brith recipe to raise money for the cancer charity that helped her through her final weeks.

Cath Jones says every traditional Welsh fruit loaf she makes for her annual Macmillan coffee morning now carries a special memory of her mum Isobel Taylor who died from cancer last year.

The 56-year old, a personal assistant in the conveyancing team at law firm Swayne Johnson – which has offices in St Asaph, Mold, Ruthin, Denbigh, Llandudno and Tattenhall – sells the bara brith alongside a raffle, helping her raise more than £5,500 for Macmillan over the years.

But Cath’s fundraising has taken on an even deeper meaning since losing her mum after Macmillan support helped make it possible for Isobel to spend the final six weeks of her life at home.

According to Cath, her mum, a farmer’s wife who lived at Cae Nant Llanychan near Ruthin with husband Jim, was 79 when she died.

She said: “Mum’s cancer just started with a growth on her arm, then it went under her armpit and later spread elsewhere, including to her leg.

“Mum passed away in August last year and it was about two years from her spotting it on her arm to her passing away.

“Mum got great support from Macmillan, they were there for phone calls and advice and that was important because if you have never been through it, you don’t know what to expect.”

“Mum wanted to be at home when she died, and that wouldn’t have happened without the help from Macmillan.

“It was tough, but that was what she wanted, she didn’t want to die in hospital.”
Cath, who lives at Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd with husband Mike, and is mum to Amy, 27, and Ceri, 25, said: “Holding the coffee mornings seem extra significant now, 100 per cent.

“I just want to raise as much money as I can for them now.

“From now on, every coffee morning I hold, my mum will be in the back of my mind.

“It’s even mum’s recipe I use to make the bara brith I sell at the coffee mornings.

“It is the best bara brith, I get a lot of people saying it’s a good one, and it is made with mum’s recipe, so it’s very special to me.

“In fact my mum used to come to the coffee mornings, she would donate a bottle or buy raffle tickets every year.

“The Ruthin office has been holding Macmillan coffee mornings since 2012 and in that time we have raised £5,501.

“There are so many people affected by cancer, two of my friends have had breast cancer for example.”
Swayne Johnson’s latest Macmillan coffee morning raised a total of £472.

Cath, who started working for Swayne Johnson in 1988, initially in the firm’s Denbigh office, said: “I want to say a big thank-you to all the businesses who donated a raffle prize, it wouldn’t be going ahead without their support.

“The raffle is important because it helps draw people in and they will spend £10 on the raffle and then buy cakes too, it is a big part of what we do.

“We are a great team here at Swayne Johnson, we all work well together and everyone helps out to make sure the coffee mornings are a great success.”

Businesses including Tesco, John Jones Butchers, clothes shop Choo Choo, the Co-op, and book and gift shop Elfair donated raffle prizes this year.

The fundraiser was also supported by craft and leather goods story Hideaway, nail salon Polish Me Pretty, Chilly Cow Ice Cream, hairdressers Tommy’s, florists Reebees and bakers Islyn.

Lynette Viney-Passig, Managing Director at Swayne Johnson, praised Cath for her dedication to fundraising and thanked the firm’s staff and local businesses for their support of the coffee morning and raffle.

She said: “Without the support of local businesses, we couldn’t hold the raffle or raise so much money, and we are very grateful for their help.

“The raffle is always very popular here in Ruthin, and that is entirely down to the generosity of local businesses.

“We are really proud of Cath. Events like the coffee mornings simply wouldn’t happen without people like her behind them. They take a lot of organising and planning, from speaking to local businesses to encouraging members of staff to get baking.

“Our Denbigh office also holds an annual coffee morning for Macmillan, so it really is a team effort.

“As a company, we have been holding Macmillan coffee mornings for at least 20 years. We must also thank all our staff for their generosity. They buy raffle tickets, contribute to the fundraising activities and play their part in making these events a success.

“Fundraising activities like the coffee mornings are right at the heart of what we do. We embrace every opportunity to engage with the community, organise events and support fundraising initiatives.

“Macmillan does incredible work, and hearing stories from people like Cath about the support the charity has provided to her family, and how important it was in ensuring her mum received the care she wanted, really highlights the invaluable service it offers.”

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