SIX friends from Wrexham have trekked all the way from the town to Snowdon and back again, all for a local cause close to their hearts.

Each step of the 171 mile round trip, which took the intrepid hikers six days, including scaling the mountain itself, was completed in aid of the Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham (AVOW).

Cez Dawson, who used to work for AVOW, completed the epic journey with his brother Ashley and friends Ross Marsden, Liam Stokes-Massey, Tom Birkhead and Rob Parry, with other people joining them at various stages.

He said: "It was unbelievably challenging, much more so than any of us could have imagined.

"The AVOW Play Team run Play Provision across Wrexham, providing open access play schemes and street play projects for children.

"The projects offer children wide ranging play opportunities, provided by a team of trained, experienced, and dedicated play workers. Children have opportunities to build, create, and change their environments, to play with fire, to cook, to be artistic, to share time with other children, and to be themselves in any which way they choose."

The 'There and Back Again' trek has helped raise a total of £1240 so far and the six enjoyed a well earned drink in the Acton pub in Garden Village after their successful and safe return on Friday evening.

He added: "Funding is a constant struggle in the playwork sector and rarely long term. The team is funded by various pots of money and the quest for funding to keep projects running is ongoing, with every penny helping.

"AVOW really make a huge difference to many children's lives around Wrexham and any donation, however big or small, will be greatly appreciated by us walkers and AVOW."

Local artist Liam Stokes-Massey said the trek was a challenge and particularly poignant for the friends to complete together following Cez's full recovery after being diagnosed with a rare type of cancer a couple of years ago.

He said: "It's unbelievable and astounding that Cez made a full recovery and completed this with us. A testament to his character.

"Cez used to work for AVOW as a Playworker, so the cause is very close to his heart. All of us appreciate the work they do for kids in the Wrexham area.

"On the day we climbed Snowdon, we had to carry on to Llanrwst to camp. I think we were a bit delirious as we ended up dancing to a playlist we had made most of the way there!"

If you would like to support the 'There and Back Again' cause, you may do so via the friends'

Go Fund Me

page.