Hundreds of competitors braved winter weather at the first ever JCB Mud Run - and raised a heart-warming £30,624 to help children in Staffordshire at risk of harm and abuse.
Around 500 people, including JCB employees and members of the public, slithered and slid around a five mile course over 20 obstacles near to the grounds of JCB's World HQ in Rocester, Staffordshire on Saturday (Nov 10th)
Now the money raised by their efforts will go towards the company's £1 million NSPCC Appeal to support Carole House, a specialist NSPCC Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme, which is dedicated to saving babies and young children across Staffordshire from abuse and harm.
Today a cheque for the amount raised at the event was handed over by mud runners to the JCB NSPCC Appeal.
JCB Group HR Director Joanne McAdam said: "We are absolutely delighted at the amount of money raised by the first-ever JCB Mud Run. Every single pound raised will go towards helping improve the lives of children in Staffordshire. I'd like to say a big thank you to all our sponsors and to every competitor who has supported the event and made it such a great success."
John Harrison, NSPCC service manager at Carole House, said: "On behalf of the team at Carole House, I'd like to say a big thank you to JCB for digging deep and hosting the Mud Run as part of their ongoing support for our work with the most vulnerable children in Staffordshire. Huge thanks also to all the mud-lovers who have braved this amazing obstacle course and raised vital funds to help keep children safe from harm."
The NSPCC is JCB's nominated charity and Carole House is named after Sir Anthony Bamford's wife Carole, Lady Bamford OBE, in honour of the fundraising undertaken by JCB and its employees.
The current appeal has recently broken through the £750,000 mark and Sir Anthony Bamford has pledged to double the appeal total once the £1 million target has been reached.
JCB is grateful to the following sponsors and companies who have generously supported the JCB Mud Run: Price Waterhouse Cooper; BYG S.A; Euler Hermes World Agency; Slaughter & May; Aon Risk Solutions; BKT Europe; Advanced Engineering Techniques; D K Packing & Casemaking Ltd; Mercury Material Management; Simrit; Van Leeuwen Ltd; KRF UK Ltd; Dransfields Engineering Services Ltd; LPM Cleaning; ABB; Briggs Equipment; Barclays Bank; Datatag; UK Automotive; Compressed Air Services; Kennametal Ltd; 3M; Propack Services; Mick Hall Photos and Hilton St George's Park.