Cousins' Nuts Challenge raises £5,855 for hospice

A fundraiser from Horsham was part of a team of six cousins who raised £5,855 for St Barnabas House hospice when they took part in '˜The Nuts Challenge' in September.
Richard, Stuart, Alexandra, Nicola, Lizzie and Ben made up the team Minnas Muddy MarshesRichard, Stuart, Alexandra, Nicola, Lizzie and Ben made up the team Minnas Muddy Marshes
Richard, Stuart, Alexandra, Nicola, Lizzie and Ben made up the team Minnas Muddy Marshes

Based over a 7km course near Dorking, the challenge is described as ‘a relentless military-themed obstacle course’.

Stuart Sandell, from Horsham, was a member of ‘Minna’s Muddy Marshes’ - six cousins who took on the challenge to raise money for St Barnabas House, where their grandmother Minnie Marsh was cared for at the end of her life.

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Alexandra said on behalf of the team: “Minnie (always known to us as Minna) passed away in February 2012. She died of lung cancer at the age of 94. Prior to that she had always been fit and healthy and only stopped playing tennis regularly at the age of 90.

“We chose this challenge because Minna always encouraged us to be fit and healthy and she set an amazing example of how exercise was good for you. She was always proud of her family and keen for the cousins to keep in touch and be friends.

“We thought she would be proud of us for doing something together as a team that would challenge us and was a bit different.”

Minna spent the last nine days of her life at St Barnabas House as an in-patient and also received a blood transfusion at the day hospice before then.

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The desire to give something back to the hospice that cared for their grandmother inspired the team to participate in The Nuts Challenge.

Alexandra added: “St Barnabas were amazing when Minna was sick. They provided her with incredible care and really looked after her at the end of her life.

“As a family we felt supported and were incredibly grateful to them for taking such good care of her.

“We all loved having our St Barnabas tops to wear on the day and they helped us identify each other as we got muddier and muddier! They have been helpful and informative and it has been a pleasure to raise money for them.”

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Nicky Ifould, Events and Campaigns Fundraiser at St Barnabas House, said: “I would like to thank the family for taking on such a tough challenge to raise money for the hospice.

“The amount they raised is enough to cover the cost of 10 days of care for a patient in our In-patient Unit, which is a phenomenal achievement.”

If you would like to take part in a challenge event and support St Barnabas House, please visit our website http://www.stbh.org.uk/events or contact the Events Team by emailing [email protected] or by calling 01903 706355.

Contributed by St Barnabas House

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