Tony and Donna Cooper-Barney with the pupils of Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch and their teacher Hannah Blackford at Palé Hall.
Seven young dancers and singers from a tiny North Wales primary school will be jetting off on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Patagonia later this year thanks to the owners of a leading Welsh country house hotel and estate.
Tony and Donna Cooper-Barney, owners of five star Palé Hall at Llandderfel, near Bala, took seven days to cycle 423 kilometres from Cannes in France to Pisa in Italy, raising nearly £16,000.
Their initial mission was to raise £10,000 for Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch, near Corwen in memory of their late son, James. However, that target was soon surpassed and extended to £15,000.
The school’s talented dancers, aged from nine to 11, together with 30 from Clocswyr Conwy, have been invited to travel to Patagonia in October for a two-week visit.
The pupils will represent Wales and showcase the country’s rich folk dancing and singing traditions, performing and teaching their skills to schools in Trelew, Patagonia, where there is a Welsh speaking community.
They visited Palé Hall with their teacher Hannah Blackford yesterday to thank Tony and Donna and performed Welsh traditional dances and songs for them.
Tony and Donna thanked everybody who had donated to the fundraising. “We are going to send the children to Patagonia and that would not have been possible without your support,” they said.
“We set an initial fundraising target of £10,000, then increased it to £15,000 and it’s amazing how much money has been raised.
“This is cause very close to our hearts. It’s a cultural exchange, a chance for these young people to share their Welsh heritage, learn from others and build lifelong friendships rooted in mutual respect and tradition.
“For many of them, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience they could not afford without fundraising support.
“I was brought up in Queensferry and, when we bought Palé Hall, we wanted to support the local communities.”
Tony and Donna completed the cycle marathon for the James Barney Foundation, a charity they created in loving memory of James, who tragically died in a car accident at the age of 16. The foundation is dedicated to helping children and young people pursue life-changing opportunities, something James believed in deeply.
The couple’s fundraising page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-ride-from-cannes-to-pisa-for-childrens-futures is still open for donations.
“We are delighted to have raised enough money to give the children of Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch the opportunity to carry their culture proudly across the world and to do so in James’ name, continuing the legacy of his joy, generosity and promise that he left behind,” said Donna.
The Patagonia trip is being organised by Hannah Blackford, a teacher at Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch who also teaches traditional Welsh folk dance at the school and the Clocswyr Conwy group.
Because Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch has only 20 pupils and the cost of flights is so expensive, she thought it was highly unlikely that the money could be raised to send the pupils to Patagonia.
“I honestly couldn’t believe it when I received a call to say that Tony and Donna were cycling to raise the £10,000,” said Hannah. “I wish I had recorded the children’s reaction when they saw the Gofundme.com page - they were flabbergasted!
“There’s a real buzz around the school and the community and it will be an incredible and unforgettable experience for the children to visit Patagonia. They have worked so hard.
“It wouldn’t be happening without Tony and Donna and the Palé Hall connection with the James Barney Foundation.”
It’s not the first time Tony and Donna have taken on fundraising challenges for the foundation, having previously climbed Kilimanjaro, walked the Great Wall of China and cycled through France, to name but a few examples.
The couple purchased Palé Hall last year and have pledged to support the surrounding local communities wherever they can.
Palé Hall is one of the first hotels in the UK to receive a Michelin Key Award, which recognises the property as “a special place to stay” and last year won a Condé Nast Traveller 2024 Readers' Choice Award.
Situated in the Dee Valley, on the edge of the beautiful Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, the AA Five Red Star, Relais & Chateaux destination luxury country house hotel has an acclaimed AA three-rosette and Michelin Green Star fine dining restaurant.
Their initial mission was to raise £10,000 for Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch, near Corwen in memory of their late son, James. However, that target was soon surpassed and extended to £15,000.
The school’s talented dancers, aged from nine to 11, together with 30 from Clocswyr Conwy, have been invited to travel to Patagonia in October for a two-week visit.
The pupils will represent Wales and showcase the country’s rich folk dancing and singing traditions, performing and teaching their skills to schools in Trelew, Patagonia, where there is a Welsh speaking community.
They visited Palé Hall with their teacher Hannah Blackford yesterday to thank Tony and Donna and performed Welsh traditional dances and songs for them.
Tony and Donna thanked everybody who had donated to the fundraising. “We are going to send the children to Patagonia and that would not have been possible without your support,” they said.
“We set an initial fundraising target of £10,000, then increased it to £15,000 and it’s amazing how much money has been raised.
“This is cause very close to our hearts. It’s a cultural exchange, a chance for these young people to share their Welsh heritage, learn from others and build lifelong friendships rooted in mutual respect and tradition.
“For many of them, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience they could not afford without fundraising support.
“I was brought up in Queensferry and, when we bought Palé Hall, we wanted to support the local communities.”
Tony and Donna completed the cycle marathon for the James Barney Foundation, a charity they created in loving memory of James, who tragically died in a car accident at the age of 16. The foundation is dedicated to helping children and young people pursue life-changing opportunities, something James believed in deeply.
The couple’s fundraising page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-ride-from-cannes-to-pisa-for-childrens-futures is still open for donations.
“We are delighted to have raised enough money to give the children of Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch the opportunity to carry their culture proudly across the world and to do so in James’ name, continuing the legacy of his joy, generosity and promise that he left behind,” said Donna.
The Patagonia trip is being organised by Hannah Blackford, a teacher at Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch who also teaches traditional Welsh folk dance at the school and the Clocswyr Conwy group.
Because Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch has only 20 pupils and the cost of flights is so expensive, she thought it was highly unlikely that the money could be raised to send the pupils to Patagonia.
“I honestly couldn’t believe it when I received a call to say that Tony and Donna were cycling to raise the £10,000,” said Hannah. “I wish I had recorded the children’s reaction when they saw the Gofundme.com page - they were flabbergasted!
“There’s a real buzz around the school and the community and it will be an incredible and unforgettable experience for the children to visit Patagonia. They have worked so hard.
“It wouldn’t be happening without Tony and Donna and the Palé Hall connection with the James Barney Foundation.”
It’s not the first time Tony and Donna have taken on fundraising challenges for the foundation, having previously climbed Kilimanjaro, walked the Great Wall of China and cycled through France, to name but a few examples.
The couple purchased Palé Hall last year and have pledged to support the surrounding local communities wherever they can.
Palé Hall is one of the first hotels in the UK to receive a Michelin Key Award, which recognises the property as “a special place to stay” and last year won a Condé Nast Traveller 2024 Readers' Choice Award.
Situated in the Dee Valley, on the edge of the beautiful Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, the AA Five Red Star, Relais & Chateaux destination luxury country house hotel has an acclaimed AA three-rosette and Michelin Green Star fine dining restaurant.
Tony and Donna Cooper-Barney with the pupils of Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch and their teacher Hannah Blackford inside Palé Hall.
Tony and Donna Cooper-Barney with the pupils of Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch outside Palé Hall.
