Around 30 staff from a range of teams across our Trust, including Maternity, Finance and HR, have raised almost £10,000 for our charity by taking part in The Big Charity Mud Run.

Held on Sunday 6 October at an outdoor centre in Brentwood, the course included muddy pits and slippery slides for our teams to navigate, culminating in a huge slide into cold water.

Among the participants was our Chief Financial Officer, Mike Gilham (above):

It was good fun, although the water at the end was freezing.

I’m on our Charity Finances Committee and when I was asked to do it, I thought it would be a good way to raise funds while doing something active. While I try to keep fit, this was very different to what I’m used to at the gym.

Justine Mitchell, a midwife on our Birth Centre, also took part:

It was a challenge but we did it because every woman deserves the best possible experience when giving birth, and we were willing to get muddy to make that happen!

The money raised by Justine and her colleagues will be spent on improving the environment of our Birth Centre to give women the best possible experience. Other teams’ funds will go to the areas in most need.

The event was such a success, we’ll be encouraging even more colleagues to get muddy for the King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity next year.