A PROMINENT fundraiser in Rhyl used money he has raised to pay for tickets to the town’s SC2 water park for homeless residents.

Richard Kendrick, who often raises money dressed as “Bearjamin the Charity Bear”, covered the costs of the tickets to enable more than 100 people in the town to visit the park on July 16.

For two hours that afternoon, the residents were able to enjoy the Denbighshire Leisure Ltd (DLL)-run water park, free of charge.

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“It went really well; I think there were 113 people in total - I was chuffed with how it went,” Richard said.

“It was nice just chatting to people about what’s happening in their lives and how we can support them.”

Rhyl Journal: Bearjamin at SC2Bearjamin at SC2 (Image: Richard Kendrick)

Richard bought the SC2 tickets, before passing them on to Denbighshire County Council housing officers, who have then distributed them among the town’s homeless families.

Previously, he has also used funds he has raised buy tickets for homeless families to Geronimo’s Adventure Playzone and Lazer Zone, on West Parade.

He added: “They (homeless families) gave us ideas about what we can do next; a lot of them suggested a teddy bear’s picnic, Geronimo’s and Marine Lake. It was a really good, enjoyable day.

“I think almost everybody came over to say ‘thank you’, which I’m so grateful for. It’s nice when the kids come over to say ‘thank you’; not just the parents.

Rhyl Journal: A fundraising bucket at the SC2 event on SundayA fundraising bucket at the SC2 event on Sunday (Image: Richard Kendrick)

“The kids had two good hours there, so were knackered afterwards! They all seemed to enjoy it; a lot of them hadn’t been there before. I hope we can organise something else for them all over the summer holidays.

“The staff at DLL were amazing; one of them dressed up as Bearjamin for me so I could go around and talk to families. They couldn’t have been more helpful.”

Richard raised thousands as he slept rough every night for a week across North Wales in March.

He was taking part in Royal British Legion Industries’ (RBLI) “Great Tommy Sleep Out”,  where fundraisers sleep rough in aid of the roughly 6,000 military veterans living on the streets in the UK.

That followed Richard completing his role as Rhyl’s Poppy Appeal Organiser, during which time he raised £212,835.24 in two years.