The 63-year-old has been honoured for his remarkable fundraising efforts, having helped to raise over £50 million for charity
Davies has been made a CBE in the New Year Honours list(Image: Richard Williams)
Wales rugby legend Jonathan ‘Jiffy’ Davies has been made a CBE in the New Year Honours list, in recognition of his remarkable efforts to raise money for charity.
The 63-year-old former dual-code international has been awarded the honour for his services to broadcasting and to people with cancer, having served as the president of Velindre cancer charity since 2009. He had started supporting the charity as a patron two years earlier, having tragically lost both his father and first wife Karen to cancer.
Since then, he has shown extraordinary commitment to the cause and transformed lives by helping to raise over £50 million for the charity through several remarkable endeavours.
As well as running yearly golf days and huge overseas bike ride challenges all over America, as well as in Majorca, Jiffy also set up another charity cycling event to support both Velindre and Swansea Bay Health Charity to help raise funds for cancer services across both hospitals.
Jiffy’s Cancer 50 Challenge was held for the fifth time this year, with the legendary fly-half joined by hundreds of riders to cycle 50 miles from Cardiff to Swansea and raise over £40,000 for charity.
Jiffy has helped to raise over £50 million for charity(Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
After being awarded with an MBE and OBE in 1995 and 2015, the Welsh rugby legend has now been made a CBE, the highest available honour below a knighthood, in the latest honours list.
“I’m honoured and privileged to receive the award on behalf of everyone at Velindre,” Jiffy told WalesOnline as the honour was confirmed. “Thank you for the accolade, but it’s on behalf of all the team, all the people and all the fundraisers.
“I’m just a figurehead, and I’m so deeply proud to stand alongside everyone that helps to give hope that we will one day soon find a cure or find out what causes cancer.
“It’s very humbling really, you don’t set off trying to get on the honours list,” he added, as he paid tribute to the late Glamorgan batsman and ECB chief Hugh Morris, who passed away on Sunday following a battle with cancer.
“It’s very poignant as well when you hear of someone like Hugh Morris passing. That’s why we keep on striving to raise money, to help the NHS in Wales and we can give better treatment to people. I’m delighted to accept the award on behalf of everyone.”
Velindre is, of course, a cause that is very close to Jiffy’s heart, with his first wife Karen staying at the cancer centre after she was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1995.
While his father, who passed away when the rugby star was just 14 years old, had to stay in Cambridge for treatment for long periods of time, having a facility like Velindre on his doorstep allowed Jiffy and his children to live as normal a life as possible before Karen sadly passed away in 1997.
Velindre is a cause very close to Jiffy’s heart(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)
“That’s the reason I got involved,” he said. “My dad passed away very young, so I understood what cancer meant and how it affected families. My mum had to travel to Cambridge to go with my dad and he was away for long times. With my wife in Velindre, it helped to keep life as normal as possible with my children.
“I don’t think you really appreciate the value of Velindre and the staff until you have to go there. Everybody knows about it, and that’s what we do as celebrity patrons, raise awareness, but it’s when you go there and experience it that you really, really, truly appreciate how special the people are who work at Velindre.”
“I’ve been there since 2007, and a president since 2009. In that time, we’ve raised over £50 million which is a staggering amount of money, especially in south east Wales,” Jiffy continued.
“We’ve helped a lot of people along the way, from everything from psychology and counselling support to dedicated resources for children and their families, and we’ve put a lot into research and clinical trials. We just raise the money and we give it to people who have far better things to do than we do.”
While he has already helped to raise a huge amount of money, Jiffy has no plans to slow down on the fundraising front, with the BBC pundit now planning to take part in the next cycle challenge which is taking place between Sevilla and Marbella in May.
“You try and create a culture and an environment where people enjoy it and it becomes a life experience,” he said as he reflected on his charity rides. “Although it is tinged with tragedy when you bring all these people together, there’s a driving force that inspires them to go further and beyond where they have gone before to raise these funds
“I’ve ridden with people who have passed away and people who have survived, so when you see those stories, it puts everything into perspective. I just hope one day we can find a cure, as that’s what we’re all striving for.”
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