Llandudno mum backed by Welsh football legends fundraiser 2026

Key Points

• There was a get-together of Welsh football greats at the St George’s Hotel, Llandudno to help fund Amy Jones, who is a mother of four and has stage four metastatic triple negative breast cancer.
• The get-together was arranged by Samantha Southall, daughter of Neville Southall, a former Welsh and Everton goalkeeper, along with Amy’s brother Stephen Roberts. The get-together included Wales manager Mike England and Wales international Mickey Thomas along with Neville Southall.
• The brave Amy, a mother of three girls and step-mother of an 18-year-old girl, had been discharged from the hospital earlier on the same day after undergoing a two-week treatment for infection but she came for the event despite all of this.
• The event was hosted by Dave Guinn, chairman of Llandudno FC. The entertainment for the night included a comedian Tomi Caws and speed artist Dave Sharp, whose paintings were put up for auction.

Wales (Wales Times) September 09, 2026 – A community fundraiser bringing together Welsh football legends took place at the St George’s Hotel in Llandudno to support Amy Jones, a local mum-of-four living with metastatic triple negative breast cancer. The event, initially conceived as an evening with former Wales and Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall, evolved into a wider reunion of notable figures from Welsh football history after additional former internationals joined the occasion.

Organisers said the night was intended to unite friends, former players and supporters to raise vital funds for Amy’s ongoing treatment and to show solidarity with her family during a difficult period.

How did the fundraiser for Amy Jones come together?

The evening was organised by Samantha Southall, Neville Southall’s daughter and a childhood friend of Amy Jones, working alongside Amy’s brother, Stephen Roberts. According to reporting by the North Wales Pioneer, the pair wanted to bring people together to support Amy in her battle with cancer, leveraging local connections and the profile of Welsh football to draw attention and support.

What began as a planned appearance by Neville Southall expanded when other former Wales figures agreed to attend, turning the event into a broader celebration of Welsh football heritage while keeping the focus on fundraising for Amy and her family.

Which Welsh football legends attended the Llandudno charity event?

The fundraiser featured appearances by three prominent names from Welsh football. Neville Southall, the former Wales and Everton goalkeeper, attended despite having been unwell earlier in the week, after originally considering stepping back due to illness.

He was joined by Mickey Thomas, a former Wales international who had initially been approached to help when Neville’s health made his attendance uncertain, before the two decided to appear together. Also present was Mike England, the former Wales captain and manager, whose presence added further significance to the gathering by bringing together three key figures from different eras of Welsh football in one room.

As reported in local coverage, photographs from the night showed Amy Jones alongside Mickey Thomas, and separately pictured Mike England, Neville Southall and Mickey Thomas together at the venue, underscoring the symbolic nature of the reunion.

Who is Amy Jones and what is her health situation?

Amy Jones is a mother to three young daughters – Lola, 13, Ayda, 8, and Penny, 5 – and stepmother to Deryn, 18. She is living with metastatic triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease that has spread to other areas of her body.

In the days leading up to the fundraiser, Amy had spent two weeks in hospital being treated for a severe infection and was discharged earlier on the same day as the event. Despite the physical toll of her treatment and recent hospital stay, she was determined to attend the evening held in her honour, according to organisers and local reporting.

What took place during the fundraising evening at St George’s Hotel?

The event at the St George’s Hotel was hosted by Dave Guinn, chairman of Llandudno FC, who helped guide the programme and introductions through the night. The evening included stories and memories from the careers of the attending football legends, offering attendees insights into their experiences at the highest levels of the game.

A number of former players from the local area also attended to show support for Amy and her family, reinforcing the community dimension of the fundraiser.

Entertainment was provided by comedian Tomi Caws, while speed artist Dave Sharp performed live during the event, creating portraits of football legend George Best and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. The artworks produced on the night were subsequently auctioned, with proceeds directed towards the fundraising effort for Amy’s care and related costs.

How did Neville Southall and Mickey Thomas end up appearing together?

According to local reporting, Neville Southall was unwell during the week leading up to the event, prompting organisers to consider adjustments to the planned appearance. Mickey Thomas, a former Wales teammate of Southall, was brought in to help ensure the evening could still go ahead in support of Amy.

Ultimately, Neville Southall decided not to miss the event being held in Amy’s honour and chose to attend despite his recent illness, joining Mickey Thomas on the night. The decision transformed the occasion into what organisers described as an “incredibly special reunion” of two former Wales internationals, further enhanced by Mike England’s presence.

Background: Context around cancer fundraising and community support in North Wales

Fundraising events for individuals facing serious illness are a recurring feature of community life in North Wales, with local uk/sports/">sports figures often playing a central role in mobilising support. In recent months, multiple high-profile charity initiatives in the region have focused on cancer patients and their families, including football-related events and endurance challenges organised by coaches and community members.

Amy Jones’s case has drawn particular attention because of her young family and the aggressive nature of metastatic triple negative breast cancer, which typically requires intensive treatment and can involve significant financial and logistical pressures for households. Local media have highlighted similar appeals in the area, including campaigns for brain cancer treatment and other serious conditions, reflecting an active culture of community-based fundraising in response to complex medical needs.

The involvement of well-known Welsh football figures adds visibility to such causes, helping to attract attendees, media coverage and donations that might otherwise be harder to secure for individual families navigating long-term treatment.

Prediction: How could this development affect families facing cancer in North Wales?

The Llandudno fundraiser illustrates how high-profile community events can amplify both financial support and public awareness for families dealing with advanced cancer. For other households in similar situations across North Wales, the visibility of this event may encourage more local organisations, sports clubs and public figures to initiate or back similar appeals, potentially increasing the overall volume of grassroots fundraising activity.

If such gatherings become more common, families battling serious illness could benefit from improved access to emergency funds for treatment-related costs, travel, childcare and practical support, reducing some of the non-medical pressures that often accompany long-term care. At the same time, repeated media coverage of these events may help normalise conversations around metastatic cancer and the financial challenges it creates, prompting wider discussion about what additional systemic support might be needed beyond ad hoc charity drives.