Ruth Jones and Steve Speirs reunite Stella cast for charity

Two of Wales most beloved television stars and best friends, Ruth Jones and Steve Speirs, reunited the cast of the hit comedy drama series Stella for a special fundraising night in Cardiff.

Between them they raised over £40,000 to be shared equally between two Welsh charities – The Sir Gareth Edwards Cancer Charity and the Hospice of the Valleys.

Steve Speirs is an Ambassador for Hospice of the Valleys – a widely cherished local organisation in Blaenau Gwent providing compassionate, specialist palliative care to individuals and families in their communities. Ruth Jones is an Ambassador for the Sir Gareth Edwards Cancer Charity that offers financial help for people in Wales aged 15-35 who are impacted by a Cancer diagnosis.

The unforgettable evening at the Holland House Hotel brought together cast members and fans including snooker legend Mark Williams MBE who along with Steve is a Celebrity Ambassador for Hospice of the Valleys. Sir Gareth Edwards represented his Charity – the Gareth Edwards Cancer Charity along with their CEO and Founder, Eirlys Edwards.

Carl Morgan from Beefy’s Comedy Club hosted the Q and A, interviewing Steve and Ruth plus other cast members – Mark Lewis Jones, Karen Paullada, Julian Lewis Jones, Patrick Baladi and Di Botcher. They took a nostalgic look back at many of the series highlights and funniest moments.

Another cast member Claire Hingott delighted the audience by singing with her band and there was a fantastic Auction that offered up some amazing money-can’t-buy prizes. These included lunch with Ruth and Steve and a game of snooker doubles with Sir Gareth and Mark. There was also an unexpected donation of £10,000 from an extremely generous Cardiff Businessman.

Steve Speirs said: “Reuniting the cast of Stella again was incredibly special for us all especially for myself and Ruth. The Valleys have always been close to our hearts, and to see so many people turn out to support the Hospice of the Valleys and the Sir Gareth Edwards Cancer Charity was genuinely humbling.

“These charities are so important to us both and do extraordinary work every single day. The event brought a lot of joy while helping them continue that work, and this meant everything to us.”

Ruth Jones said: ‘What a brilliant evening. It was so lush to see everyone again and take a trip down Memory Lane whilst raising money for these two incredible charities. I was very proud to be involved.’

Speaking about the event, Julie Williams Business & Community Fundraising Manager with Hospice of the Valleys praised the kindness and generosity of those who attended and the commitment of the cast who gave up their time for free to support.

She said: “We were delighted when Steve informed us he that both he and Ruth would like to collaborate to raise funds. Their support really means so much as it enables us to continue providing our services free of charge.

“It was a wonderful and memorable evening, a fitting way to celebrate all things Stella and everyone left the room beaming. We were thrilled to join forces with another great charity and the funds raised mean so much to us both.”

Sir Gareth Edwards Charity CEO & Founder Eirlys Edwards added: “We are incredibly grateful to Ruth, Steve and every member of the Stella cast who gave up their time to support both charities. Gareth and Maureen laughed their socks off and we all had a cockin’ good night. We are immensely proud to have the mighty Ruth Jones as an Ambassador for the Sir Gareth Edwards Cancer Charity, thank you Ruth for standing up for young people diagnosed with Cancer in Wales.’

Both Charities rely on fundraising support and donations, expressed their heartfelt thanks to Ruth, Steve and Carl from Beefy’s Comedy Club. They shared that the evening highlighted not only the enduring popularity of Stella, but also the power of two Welsh talents coming together to make a real difference in local communities whilst raising awareness of two small Welsh charities.