St David’s Day Fire Walk to Raise Funds for Hywel Dda NHS 2026

Key Points

• St David’s Day Fire Walk, a fundraising event by Hywel Dda Health Charities – the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, has just started.
• Fire walkers will be expected to walk barefoot on burning embers spanning five meters in length, with the heat expected to reach 800°C.
• The event is planned to collect money towards NHS services in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
• The event is connected to St David’s Day, the national day of Wales, and is described as a fundraising challenge in support of the local NHS.
• The fundraiser has followed several other fire walks organised by Hywel Dda in the past, such as fire walks that have generated £528 for rheumatology services at Withybush Hospital and £1,545 for the neurophysiology department at Glangwili Hospital.
• It should be noted that according to Hywel Dda Health Charities, charitable donations provide additional equipment and activities beyond NHS budgeting.

St David Fire (Wales Times) October 16, 2026 — Hywel Dda Health Charities has launched a St David’s Day Fire Walk fundraiser, inviting supporters to walk barefoot across burning embers to raise money for local NHS services.

As reported by Carmarthenshire News Online, Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, is calling on supporters to take part in the St David’s Day Fire Walk. The charity says the event is designed to raise funds for NHS services serving communities in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

The challenge involves participants walking barefoot across five metres of embers. As reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald, the embers may reach temperatures of up to 800°C. The event is being promoted as a St David’s Day fundraiser, connecting the physical challenge with Wales’s national day.

Why Is Hywel Dda Launching the Fire Walk?

The charity has launched the fire walk to encourage public support for local NHS services. Hywel Dda Health Charities describes itself as the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board and says it raises and distributes funds to enhance local NHS services.

According to the charity’s public information, it supports patients, service users, families, carers and staff across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. The fundraiser is therefore aimed at generating voluntary donations that can support improvements and activities beyond routine NHS funding.

Katie Hancock, Fundraising Officer for Hywel Dda Health Charities, previously explained the purpose of charitable donations in remarks reported by Tenby Today. She said:

“The generous charitable donations we receive do not replace NHS funding. Instead, they support additional items and activities outside core NHS expenditure.”

How Does the Fire Walk Work?

Participants are asked to walk barefoot across a five-metre bed of embers. The Pembrokeshire Herald reported that the embers can reach up to 800°C. Carmarthenshire News Online also reported that participants will walk across burning embers reaching temperatures of up to 800°C.

The fire walk is presented as a fundraising challenge rather than a routine sponsored walk. Supporters are expected to take part and raise sponsorship for Hywel Dda Health Charities, which will then direct funds towards local NHS-related causes.

The charity’s fundraising guidance says people who wish to fundraise should register their plans with the fundraising team, promote their activity, pay in the money raised and share their story.

What Has Previous Fire Walk Fundraising Achieved?

Previous Hywel Dda fire walk events have raised money for individual hospital departments. As reported by Tenby Today, Tracy Beynon, a staff member at Withybush Hospital, took part in a Hywel Dda Health Charities fire walk in October and raised £528 for Rheumatology Services at Haverfordwest Hospital.

Beynon, who has worked at Withybush for 23 years and has been a rheumatology patient for 20 years, said: “I was stunned by how much money I raised.” She added that donations arrived from people she had never met after she posted a video on TikTok.

In another example, clinical physiologist Katie Harris took part in the Hywel Dda Fire Walk challenge last October to raise money for the neurophysiology department at Glangwili Hospital. As reported by the Cambrian News, she raised £1,545.

Harris said the money would help purchase a Rockin R Gaming Cart for the department, including an Xbox and streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube. She said this would benefit patients, particularly children, who must sit for long periods during EEG tests.

What Do the Charities Say About Donations?

Hywel Dda Health Charities positions the fundraiser as a way to provide additional support for NHS services. The charity says it raises funds “for local NHS services to make a positive difference”.

Its website states that it supports local NHS services for patients, service users, families, carers and staff in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. The charity is registered with the Charity Commission under registration number 1147863, according to its JustGiving page.

The charity’s fundraising team can be contacted by telephone on 01267 239815 or by email at Fundraising.HywelDda@wales.nhs.uk, according to its fundraising information.

When Is the Fire Walk Taking Place?

The fundraiser is being launched ahead of St David’s Day, although the available reports do not publish a confirmed event date, venue or registration fee. Carmarthenshire News Online reported the launch on Friday, October 16, 2026, and described it as a St David’s Day Fire Walk fundraiser.

The Pembrokeshire Herald also published coverage under headlines referring to a St David’s Day fire walk for local NHS services and a St David’s Day fire walk fundraiser. Neither report provides a confirmed date, location, minimum sponsorship amount or age restrictions.

Who Can Take Part?

The reports describe the event as open to supporters of the local NHS, but do not provide detailed eligibility criteria. Carmarthenshire News Online says Hywel Dda Health Charities is “calling on supporters” to take part.

The Pembrokeshire Herald describes the challenge as one for “supporters of the local NHS”, who are being asked to walk barefoot across embers. Anyone considering taking part should seek the charity’s official registration details, safety arrangements and medical guidance before registering.

Background of the Development

Hywel Dda Health Charities is the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, which serves Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. The charity raises and distributes funds to support local NHS services and the people who use and work within them.

Fire walks have previously formed part of the charity’s fundraising activity. In 2026 reports, participants raised money for rheumatology services at Withybush Hospital and neurophysiology services at Glangwili Hospital. The new St David’s Day fundraiser continues that approach by using a high-visibility challenge to attract sponsors and donations.

St David’s Day is celebrated annually on March 1 and is widely recognised as Wales’s national day. The charity’s use of the date gives the fundraiser a Welsh cultural connection while directing attention towards NHS services in west Wales.

Prediction: How Can This Affect Local Supporters?

For local residents, NHS staff and potential fundraisers, the fire walk is likely to create a focused opportunity to support specific hospital services and charitable projects. If participation follows the pattern of earlier events, funds may be directed towards equipment, patient-experience improvements or departmental activities that fall outside core NHS spending.

For patients and families in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, the fundraiser could contribute to additional comforts or activities within local NHS settings. Previous fundraising has been linked to a gaming cart intended to help children undergoing long EEG tests at Glangwili Hospital.

For Hywel Dda Health Charities, the event may increase awareness of its wider fundraising work and encourage new supporters to register challenges. The charity’s own fundraising information encourages participants to register, promote their activity, pay in funds and share their stories, which could help sustain future local fundraising.