Festive season in full swing

Mal Pope is a songwriter who co-produced the film Jack To A King, about the 10-year rise of Swansea City FC

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Mal with, from left, Kirstie Roberts, Naomi Hutchison and Karl Morgan.

T’S been another really busy week as the countdown to Christmas continues.

Wednesday was very special for a ‘non-festive’ event as Swansea welcomed Kevin Sinfield to town for one of his 7-in-7 events. When his old friend and ex-team mate Rob Barrow was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Kevin decided he would try to raise money to support his friend and to raise funds towards research to find a cure for MND. It was November 2020 and the goal was seven marathons in seven days to try to raise £77,777.

By the end of his first marathon that goal had been shattered and by the end of the week he had raised over £2 million.

The whole country has been inspired by Kevin and his special friendship with Rob Barrow. This was especially true when at the end of the first Rob Barrow Leeds Marathon Kevin stopped a little short of the finish line, picked his friend up from out of his wheel chair and carried him over the finish line before planting a kiss on his friend’s head.

This year Kevin decided to add Swansea to his seven marathons. He started at the Swansea.com Stadium and ran right across the region meeting and greeting people everywhere and raising the awareness of the cruel disease that eventually took his friend.

I was asked to help MC the stop at the Army Reserve Centre, just off the Mumbles Road, in West Cross. I have driven past the centre all of my life, but this was the first time I had trav-elled up the drive, past the sentry and big gates, and entered the compound.

By the time I got there the crowds had already gathered. Children from Ysgol Llw-ynderw mingled with Forces personnel and local dignitaries as we waiting for the arrival of Kevin and his team. As I walked with my guitar up the drive I was surprised by just how steep the path was and the amount of effort the walk took out of me.