Latest news with #ChasingtheStigma
Leader Live
02-07-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Wrexham man who shed nine stone completes 3 Peaks Challenge
Richard Williams embarked on the challenge with Castle Green Homes colleagues Nigel Pritchard, Mike Williams, Gethyn Evans and George Povey last week in aid of Chasing the Stigma, Prostrate Cancer UK and Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue. They set off from Castle Green's St Asaph headquarters at 7am on Thursday (June 26) and started climbing Ben Nevis around 3.45pm. 'We knew when we completed Ben Nevis in four hours five minutes that we had it in us to finish. Having a good group, sticking together made it easier,' Richard said. 'The weather was awful going up Scafell Pike – we were soaked through. But Snowdon was the worst weather. High winds and torrential rain made it the hardest of them all in my mind. By the time we were going up Snowdon I had minimal energy but had to dig deep, singing songs in my head and thinking about having a few days' break helped carry me through.' The Castle Green Three Peaks team (Image: Active PR) Richard had a knee injury and Mike twisted his ankle, but the Castle Green team persevered and completed their challenge in 22 hours and 17 minutes. With the support of friends, family, suppliers and contractors, they've raised more than £35,000 so far. The Three Peaks challenge is something Richard had long dreamed of doing, but had thought impossible when he tipped the scales at 22 stone. A health scare in late 2023 caused him to reassess his lifestyle. "My doctor had said to me that if I'd carried on as I was, I wouldn't live another five years. I didn't want to die at 55 so knuckled down and changed my life. Afterall you only get one chance at life,' Richard recalled. 'I don't give myself enough credit but in the last week or so I've given myself a pat on the back. For the first time in years, I believe in myself. I was in a different place mentally, now I'm mentally strong. I'm a different person.' MORE NEWS: Richard's old diet consisted of three cans of energy drinks, chocolate and 'all the unhealthy stuff'. He credits his partner Louise Edwards for her support – she prepares all of his meals. A typical breakfast is toast, he takes a packed lunch of chicken salad baps, has bananas as snacks and then a small plate of food such as salmon en-croute with vegetables for his evening meal. 'Without her I'd never have been able to do it. Because she is behind me, supporting me every day, I don't cheat on my diet. I don't drink beer anymore either and haven't since December 2023,' Richard explained. He's spoken about his weight loss journey at Castle Green's staff conference and in front of 500 people at Davinia Taylor's recent book launch during a Q&A session. Asked if he'd considered weight-loss injections, he said: 'I hate injections – I couldn't do it. I'd be too scared about the potential side effects too.' Along with portion control, he's taken up walking and as part of his Three Peaks training has been walking five to 10 miles a night, averaging 35 miles a week or 20,000 steps a day.
Wales Online
01-07-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Man who lived on energy drinks and chocolate told by doctor he had five years to live
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A man who binged on energy drinks and chocolate was given a stark warning by his doctor 18 months ago. Then aged 50, Richard Williams was told if he carried on living the same way he would be dead in five years. At that point in his life he weighed 22 stone. Richard's old diet consisted of three cans of energy drinks, chocolate and 'all the unhealthy stuff'. A health scare in late 2023 caused him to reassess his lifestyle. Richard, from Wrexham, said: "My doctor had said to me that if I'd carried on as I was, I wouldn't live another five years. I didn't want to die at 55 so knuckled down and changed my life. After all you only get one chance at life." The transformation has been remarkable - losing nine stone in 18 months and last week he completed the Three Peaks Challenges with colleagues at Castle Green Homes, where he is operations director. He credits his partner Louise Edwards for her support – she prepares all of his meals. A typical breakfast is toast, he takes a packed lunch of chicken salad baps, has bananas as snacks and then a small plate of food such as salmon en-croute with vegetables for his evening meal. 'Without her I'd never have been able to do it. Because she is behind me, supporting me every day, I don't cheat on my diet. I don't drink beer anymore either and haven't since December 2023,' Richard said. He's spoken about his weight loss journey at Castle Green's staff conference and in front of 500 people at Davinia Taylor's recent book launch during a Q&A session. Asked if he'd considered weight-loss injections, he said: 'I hate injections – I couldn't do it. I'd be too scared about the potential side effects too.' Along with portion control, he's taken up walking and as part of his Three Peaks training has been walking five to 10 miles a night, averaging 35 miles a week or 20,000 steps a day. He said: 'I don't give myself enough credit but in the last week or so I've given myself a pat on the back. For the first time in years, I believe in myself. I was in a different place mentally, now I'm mentally strong. I'm a different person.' Richard, embarked on the challenge with Castle Green Homes colleagues Nigel Pritchard, Mike Williams, Gethyn Evans and George Povey last week in aid of Chasing the Stigma, Prostrate Cancer UK and Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue. They set off from Castle Green's St Asaph headquarters at 7am on Thursday and started climbing Ben Nevis around 3.45pm. 'We knew when we completed Ben Nevis in four hours five minutes that we had it in us to finish. Having a good group, sticking together made it easier,' Richard said. 'The weather was awful going up Scafell Pike – we were soaked through. But Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) was the worst weather. High winds and torrential rain made it the hardest of them all in my mind. By the time we were going up Snowdon I had minimal energy but had to dig deep, singing songs in my head and thinking about having a few days' break helped carry me through.' Richard had a knee injury and Mike twisted his ankle, but the Castle Green team persevered and completed their challenge in 22 hours and 17 minutes. With the support of friends, family, suppliers and contractors, they've raised more than £35,000 so far. The three charities are all causes close to the Castle Green team's hearts. Prostate Cancer UK was selected in support of colleagues who've battled cancer. Mental health charity Chasing the Stigma in recognition of Richard's own mental health issues and the fact that construction workers said to be four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average. The team's love of exploring North Wales and the need to stay safe, plus the fact that they embarked on their own rescue mission during training, inspired them to raise money for Ogwen Mountain Rescue. To support Richard and the Castle Green team's fundraising go to Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
North Wales Live
01-07-2025
- Health
- North Wales Live
Man who lived on energy drinks and chocolate told by doctor he had five years to live
A man who binged on energy drinks and chocolate was given a stark warning by his doctor 18 months ago. Then aged 50, Richard Williams was told if he carried on living the same way he would be dead in five years. At that point in his life he weighed 22 stone. Richard's old diet consisted of three cans of energy drinks, chocolate and 'all the unhealthy stuff'. A health scare in late 2023 caused him to reassess his lifestyle. Richard, from Wrexham, said: "My doctor had said to me that if I'd carried on as I was, I wouldn't live another five years. I didn't want to die at 55 so knuckled down and changed my life. After all you only get one chance at life." The transformation has been remarkable - losing nine stone in 18 months and last week he completed the Three Peaks Challenges with colleagues at Castle Green Homes, where he is operations director. He credits his partner Louise Edwards for her support – she prepares all of his meals. A typical breakfast is toast, he takes a packed lunch of chicken salad baps, has bananas as snacks and then a small plate of food such as salmon en-croute with vegetables for his evening meal. 'Without her I'd never have been able to do it. Because she is behind me, supporting me every day, I don't cheat on my diet. I don't drink beer anymore either and haven't since December 2023,' Richard said. He's spoken about his weight loss journey at Castle Green's staff conference and in front of 500 people at Davinia Taylor's recent book launch during a Q&A session. Asked if he'd considered weight-loss injections, he said: 'I hate injections – I couldn't do it. I'd be too scared about the potential side effects too.' Along with portion control, he's taken up walking and as part of his Three Peaks training has been walking five to 10 miles a night, averaging 35 miles a week or 20,000 steps a day. He said: 'I don't give myself enough credit but in the last week or so I've given myself a pat on the back. For the first time in years, I believe in myself. I was in a different place mentally, now I'm mentally strong. I'm a different person.' Richard, embarked on the challenge with Castle Green Homes colleagues Nigel Pritchard, Mike Williams, Gethyn Evans and George Povey last week in aid of Chasing the Stigma, Prostrate Cancer UK and Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue. They set off from Castle Green's St Asaph headquarters at 7am on Thursday and started climbing Ben Nevis around 3.45pm. 'We knew when we completed Ben Nevis in four hours five minutes that we had it in us to finish. Having a good group, sticking together made it easier,' Richard said. 'The weather was awful going up Scafell Pike – we were soaked through. But Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) was the worst weather. High winds and torrential rain made it the hardest of them all in my mind. By the time we were going up Snowdon I had minimal energy but had to dig deep, singing songs in my head and thinking about having a few days' break helped carry me through.' Richard had a knee injury and Mike twisted his ankle, but the Castle Green team persevered and completed their challenge in 22 hours and 17 minutes. With the support of friends, family, suppliers and contractors, they've raised more than £35,000 so far. The three charities are all causes close to the Castle Green team's hearts. Prostate Cancer UK was selected in support of colleagues who've battled cancer. Mental health charity Chasing the Stigma in recognition of Richard's own mental health issues and the fact that construction workers said to be four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average. The team's love of exploring North Wales and the need to stay safe, plus the fact that they embarked on their own rescue mission during training, inspired them to raise money for Ogwen Mountain Rescue. To support Richard and the Castle Green team's fundraising go to
Rhyl Journal
14-06-2025
- Health
- Rhyl Journal
Cancer survivors urge men to get checked amid charity hike
Castle Green Homes, based in St Asaph, North Wales, has chosen Prostate Cancer UK as one of the beneficiaries of its latest fundraiser—a Three Peaks Challenge—after two of its employees, David Ralph and Alan Wilson, were diagnosed with prostate cancer. The challenge, taking place on June 26, will raise money for Prostate Cancer UK, mental health charity Chasing the Stigma, and Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue. Mr Ralph, a development engineer from Chester, experienced difficulty passing urine for 12 months before seeking medical advice. He said: "I'd often take several minutes to commence or choosing to wait for a cubicle to save the embarrassment of standing at a urinal for several minutes with nothing moving. "After managing my condition for a while, I arranged for a PSA check and physical examination in July 2024. "I wish I'd acted sooner on my symptoms. "I now tell all male friends and acquaintances to get checked out. "There's often misconceived stigma for a guy to get checked out—but ultimately a five-minute doctor's visit can really make a difference." An MRI and biopsy revealed prostate cancer in September 2024, with a Gleason score of (3+4)=7. Mr Ralph chose to undergo a radical prostatectomy in January 2025. He said: "I considered this to be a better option to prevent future spread outside of the prostate. "It is possible to live a full normal life without a prostate." Post-surgery tests confirmed the cancer was contained and had not spread. Mr Ralph now has regular blood tests as part of his aftercare. He said: "Men often don't talk about their health or like me, leave it a little while until they do something about it. "The cancer may have been there for several years but without the initial PSA check that can be arranged with your GP, the results would not have been known that triggered the treatment. "My message is simple—please get yourself checked out with a PSA test from your GP." Alan Wilson, a construction director from Moreton in Wirral, was also diagnosed with prostate cancer last year and opted for a prostatectomy. Mr Wilson said: "Such a simple PSA test could possibly save someone's life. "People need to insist on the blood test." Both men will support their colleagues as they take on the Three Peaks Challenge later this month.
North Wales Chronicle
12-06-2025
- General
- North Wales Chronicle
Three Peaks Challenge team help stranded hikers on Snowdon
The Castle Green Homes team, who were preparing for the Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds for Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue, encountered three stranded walkers during their descent. The challenge, set to take place on June 26, will also support Chasing the Stigma and Prostate Cancer UK. Richard Williams, operations director at Castle Green Homes, said: "We'd passed three young women not far from the top and had walked about two and a half miles down when we looked back and couldn't see any torches or anyone coming down after us. "We made a decision as a group to turn back and find them. "They had no torches, one of them had a twisted ankle, they were lost, didn't have any water and didn't know what to do. "We took our time walking them back down and to help make them feel comfortable with us we phoned my wife. "I would be devastated to think something had happened to my daughter and no one helped them. "God knows what would have happened – they could have taken a wrong path over the edge." Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue, one of the challenge's chosen charities, is familiar with such incidents. The team of around 50 unpaid volunteers responded to 178 requests for help last year—almost one every other day. Chris Lloyd, press officer for Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue, said: "We all go out to enjoy the great outdoors not intending to have an accident. "But accidents can happen to anyone. "It is important to reduce the risk of such an incident by proper preparation and knowing what to do in such an event. "First, try and resolve the situation by yourself. "Lost? "Try retracing steps to a known point. "Stuck on steep ground? "Shout, there may be someone close by who can help. "Injured? "Treat using your first aid kit. "The person may well be able to walk off without needing rescue. "However, if out of your comfort zone, dial 999, ask for the police and then mountain rescue. "The team leader may well be able to locate your mobile telephone and to direct you to the correct path. "It is easier for team members to assist able-bodied casualties rather than let them continue to have an accident and injury." Mr Lloyd also advised on essential preparations for mountain walks. READ MORE: European surgeons visit Ysbyty Gwynedd to learn robotic knee surgery techniques He said: "Check the local weather forecast before you go out, and make sure that you have adequate clothing and spare clothing too, including waterproofs. "Mountain weather can change very quickly. "Know where you're going, make sure you have the right equipment and that the whole party have the right skills. "Being able to navigate is important. "Take a torch – don't use the one on your phone as it uses the battery and then you won't be able to call the rescue out." To support the team's Three Peaks Challenge, visit
