A Welsh charity dedicated to supporting the emotional wellbeing of people living with serious illness has raised more than £5,500 at its fifth annual Charity Ball, with its founder calling for greater recognition of the emotional impact of illness across Wales.
Held at the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff, the Daring to Dream Charity Ball brought together supporters, healthcare leaders and civic representatives to celebrate the charity’s work while raising vital funds to expand its support for patients and families in hospitals throughout Wales.
Founder Barbara Chidgey used the occasion to highlight what she believes is an often-overlooked aspect of healthcare – the emotional consequences of living with long-term illness.
She explained that while clinical care rightly focuses on treating physical conditions, many patients are left to navigate feelings of grief, anxiety, anger and uncertainty with little structured emotional support.
Barbara said: “This is why Daring to Dream is the emotional (not mental) health charity, and why we provide vital ‘Spaces to Talk’ and ‘Spaces to Sing’ in hospital ward areas. These spaces help the 1.2 million adults in Wales living with chronic illness process their feelings and live as well as possible.”
She continued: “When we live with illness, we react emotionally just as acutely as we do physically. To live well with a long-term condition, clinical care and emotional health must go hand in hand. We fundamentally need both to live as well as possible, even when our life is shaped or shortened by illness.
“Importantly, the profound emotions that arise from severe illness are a natural reflection of our shared humanity, rather than an indication of a mental health illness.
“Regrettably, public discourse has shifted towards labelling normal human emotional responses to adversity as ‘mental health issues.’ At Daring to Dream, we are actively challenging this discourse and encouraging everyone to talk about their feelings, rather than keeping them inside.
“Diagnosis, treatments, and the impact of living with chronic conditions bring a rollercoaster of grief, anger, anxiety, and more. Navigating these intense feelings requires us to nurture our emotional health, not treat a mental illness.”
Creating Safe Spaces in Welsh Hospitals
Funds raised during the evening will help Daring to Dream continue developing its ‘Spaces to Talk’ initiative in hospitals across Wales.
The charity refurbishes Quiet and Relatives’ Rooms to provide calm, private environments where patients and families can receive clinical updates, discuss difficult news and process the emotional impact of illness together away from busy ward areas.
Alongside these facilities, the charity also creates ‘Spaces to Sing’, recognising the positive role music can play in reducing isolation, lifting spirits and bringing comfort during hospital stays.
Barbara added: “Illness may be an inevitability of the human condition, but emotional isolation does not have to be. We cannot always cure the condition, but together, we can absolutely heal the experience.”
Charity Single Highlights the Emotional Reality of Illness
Guests at the Ball were also introduced to the charity’s moving single, Here Together, written by singer-songwriter Lylia Young following her work with Daring to Dream at the Princess of Wales Hospital.
Barbara explained how the song was inspired by conversations about the emotional experiences of people living with illness.
She said: “Lylia was inspired to write a charity single for us as a result of her work for us in Princess of Wales Hospital. We discussed the lyrics between us; she had picked up my frustration that the emotional impact of illness is simply not heard. People don’t talk about it, they don’t acknowledge it, they don’t share it.
“Hence the lyrics emotively share that frustration and encourage people across Wales – ‘Can you hear us? Cos we are breaking down these walls? Can you see us? We don’t want to be ignored! Just sing with us! Just sing with us! We don’t have to be alone!’
“We are so grateful to be able to share this message in such a powerful and beautiful song.”
Evening of Entertainment and Community Support
The fundraising event featured performances from the Tenovus Cancer Care Cardiff Sing with Us Choir, while Leigh Manley performed poetry written by both himself and Bethany Handley. Broadcaster and long-standing supporter Jason Harrold hosted the charity auction.
The evening also received backing from several civic leaders, including Cllr Heidi Bennett, Mayor of Bridgend, Cllr Michael Michael, Lord Mayor of Cardiff, and Cllr Jane Gebbie, Chair of Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.
As the charity celebrates another successful fundraising event, Barbara hopes its message will continue to resonate across Wales—that caring for people living with illness means recognising not only their physical needs, but also the emotional challenges that accompany them.
For more information about Daring to Dream, to make a donation or to learn more about its work supporting patients and families across Wales, visit https://daringtodream.wales or contact Barbara Chidgey at barbarachidgey@daringtodream.wales. The charity’s single Here Together is also available to watch online through the organisation’s website.