Last month, a number of hardy fundraisers took to the infamous Tough Mudder course to raise much-needed funds for Bolton Hospice. Sara Ariff, HR Manager at the hospice, as well as a team of 22 friends, colleagues and family members, brought together by Chris Masingiri, took on the notoriously challenging obstacle course. 

Sara and friends completed the 15k course, with some of the group choosing to raise money for Papyrus, and others, including Sara herself, raising a fabulous £909 for Bolton Hospice.

Sara said her and her teammates "thoroughly enjoyed our day at Tough Mudder and were delighted to be able to have raised so much money for the hospice.”

Another team of fundraisers for Bolton Hospice had a muddy good time as Louisa’s Barmy Army.

Chris Masingiri organized a team of 22 family members, friends and colleagues from Context Pneumatic Supplies where he is a director, to take part in the Tough Mudder course.

This was in memory of Chris’ mother, Mrs Louisa Kawonga, who became ill with stomach cancer in 2018 and died in July, 2020. She was an in-patient at the hospice for four weeks and also had end-of-life care at home from the Hospice at Home team among others.

“They were lovely with her all the way through,” stated Chris, who has four brothers and two sisters and is from a large, loving extended family.

“It was during lockdown and it was very hard because only her sister could visit, but we came to the window to see her.

“We used to Facetime her there at night when we were reading a bedtime story to our two girls. We sent her a toy puppy with a Strong Girls Club badge on and we had one and she always had it with her then.

“We really appreciated everything the hospice did for her.”

When his cousin Zena Kilasi spotted that the Tough Mudder was on Louisa’s anniversary weekend, the family rallied round, and as a result have raised an incredible £2,841 for the hospice.

The team had an eventful time over the 5k course as thunderstorms and lightning strikes stopped the event a couple of times on a very  wet day. However, all the team – aged from 14 to 66 – soldiered on over the cargo nets and under the wet cage through 13 obstacles where they helped each other and all finished the course.

“It was good fun – and my Mum would have laughed at us. She had a great sense of humour,” added Chris.

Now, unfazed by the mud and wet weather, he is busy organizing a team for next year.

“We’ll raise money again for the hospice – and we’re all really looking forward to it.”