Hundreds sign up for Mud Challenge for St Giles Hospice across Walsall and Lichfield

More than 300 people have already signed up to the Mud Challenge for St Giles Hospice which takes place on Sunday, October 8, at Cliff Lakes near Tamworth.

Now in its third year, the event includes water slides, mud pits, climbing walls, foam, cargo nets, tyres and more.

It’s open to adults aged 16 and over from 10am with an earlier 5k ‘Mini-Mud Challenge’ starting at 9am for children aged 10-15.

But anyone who wants to get their hands – and everything else - dirty should hurry because entry to the popular event closes on Thursday, October 5.

Over the past two years The Mud Challenge has raised more than £58,000 for the hospice, which cares for local people whose illness may not be curable.

Zoe Westwood, fundraising events manager at St Giles Hospice, said she was hoping this year’s event would raise a further £35,000.

“It’s a filthy, fun and fantastic event for all ages and abilities which is growing in popularity each year,” she said. “Adults can run or walk the 5k or 10k route and there’s no pressure to complete every obstacle. We just want our supporters to come along and enjoy themselves, whether they’re competing against others or just challenging themselves.

“We trialled the Mini Mud Challenge for children aged over 10 last year and the kids absolutely loved it so we’re really looking forward to hosting it again.”

St Giles supports over 7,000 people each year who are facing the challenge of a potentially terminal illness and there is a growing need for their services both in the community and at its centres in Lichfield, Walsall and Sutton Coldfield.

Zoe added: “It costs £9 million to deliver the care we provide each year and, with little more than a third of this funded by Government, we rely heavily on the generosity of the public. Events like this are great fun but they’re also vital to ensure we can support patients and their families to live as well as they can to the very end.”

To sign up for The Mud Challenge call 01543 432538 or visit https://www.stgileshospice.com/mudchallenge