Cwmbran mum’s 150km fundraiser for Kinship
2 July 2026
Kinship carer Shannon, 30, from Cwmbran is running 150 km throughout July for Kinship in memory of her mother who died 10 years ago from a brain aneurysm. Shannon is running along the river paths in Cwmbran completing almost one marathon a week to raise money for Kinship. There are more than 11,000 children in kinship care in Wales.
The mother-of-one decided to raise money for the charity after making the life-changing decision with her husband Daniel to take care of her niece and three nephews aged 7, 8, 12 and 13 last year.
Shannon said: “We received a call from social services to say they would be placed in care unless we could take them in. We already had our three-year-old, so it’s been pretty challenging to say the least.
“We had nothing ready and had to make do with very little at first. We’ve been sleeping on the sofabed so the children can have a bedroom.”
Swansea University lecturer Shannon and Daniel took two weeks compassionate leave from work to try and settle the children and their family into their new lives. But with no paid leave from work available, kinship carer Daniel had no choice but to quit his job so he could be at home to look after the five children.
"It’s not what we planned for in life going from a family of three to a family of seven almost overnight, but we wouldn’t have it any other way."
Shannon
Shannon, who is a university lecturer in Swansea’s cardiac physiology department said: “It’s not what we planned for in life going from a family of three to a family of seven almost overnight, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I had wanted to do a charity run in memory of my mum who always put children’s welfare first and Kinship is a cause that’s close to our hearts. This gives me a way of also recognising the charity for the support they’ve given us.”.
“It’s so important for kinship carers to know where to turn to for support when they need it and to understand their rights. It’s also essential for those in management positions to know that being flexible and supportive helps kinship families like ours stay together.”
Kinship Director of Policy & Communications Lisa Watch said: “Shannon has embarked on an epic running challenge to raise vital funds for Kinship for which we are truly grateful.
“Amazing kinship carers like Shannon and Daniel step up often in times of crisis to keep the children they love within a stable, secure loving family, often sacrificing jobs and income in the process.
“We hope the wonderful people of Wales will join us in cheering Shannon on and donating to Kinship as she runs almost one marathon a week in memory of her beloved mum, who would be so very proud of her.”
If you would like to donate to Shannon’s 150km fundraising run for Kinship, please visit her JustGiving page.
Join our community
Sign up for emails to keep up to date with the information that’s important to you, from support and advice for kinship carers, to our latest news, events and campaigns.