October 6, 2026
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Pontarddulais Quiz Community Donates £16,000 to Swansea Hospitals
What started as a weekly pub quiz has become a remarkable community fundraising tradition, with members of the Pontarddulais Conservative Club Pub Quiz raising an incredible £16,250 for Swansea Bay Health Charity funds over the past 15 years.
Every Sunday, around seven teams come together to take part in the quiz and raffle, each contributing £2. The proceeds build up week by week until the fund reaches £500, when one team gets to choose where the money will go.
The community-driven approach has seen donations support a wide range of Swansea Bay University Health Board services over the years, including Neonatal Intensive Care, the Breast Care Unit, Morriston Hospital ITU and many more. Beyond our local healthcare services, the group has also supported local schools, foodbanks, community organisations and the RNLI.
In total, quiz chairman Eirwyn Evans estimates the group has raised around £40,000 for charitable causes since the quiz began. One of the things that makes the fundraiser so special is that everybody has a say in where the money goes.
“It depends where the team wants it to go to when we hit £500 in the kitty. Everybody in the pub quiz has an input,” said Eirwyn.
The group’s latest donation was particularly personal. When it was time for Eirwyn and his wife Hilary’s team to choose a cause, they decided to support the hospital services that had played such an important role in both of their lives. Hilary recently underwent treatment for bowel cancer at Singleton Hospital, where she was cared for by Daniel Hanratty, Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon, who performed her surgery as part of her cancer treatment. Eirwyn had also experienced his own health scare and received treatment on Ward 11 Haematology at Singleton Hospital.
As a result of their experiences, the couple split their team’s £500 donation between two causes close to their hearts: £250 for Ward 11 Haematology and £250 for the GI Research Fund, which supports bowel disease and bowel cancer research led by Swansea Bay clinicians, including work carried out alongside Swansea University.
“It was our team’s turn to select the charity, and because Hilary and I were going through this, we decided now to give to the hospital” Eirwyn said.
The GI Research Fund has permitted ground-breaking research to be undertaken in Swansea. Dean Harris, Colorectal Consultant and Fund Manager, shares:
“Recent projects include development of a novel blood test for bowel cancer detection, improved ways of treating inflammatory bowel disease, and training of staff to bring new treatment methods to Swansea for the benefit of its local population. The fund has helped 10 trainees to achieve their PhD or MD higher degrees in Swansea to further knowledge of GI disease. Donations make a difference in allowing our research into bowel cancer detection and treatment to continue.”
Catrin Jones, Digital Fundraising & Engagement Officer at Swansea Bay Health Charity, shares:
“The community spirit behind this weekly event is remarkable. It is clear how proud everyone is to support local causes that make a real difference. The amount they have raised over the years is remarkable, and we’re incredibly grateful for their continued support of patients and services across Swansea Bay.”
