Muddy Challenge for a Cause: FWJ and Insolvency Community tackle Tough Mudder for City Hospice

In a display of teamwork, 18 professionals from Francis Wilks & Jones and the insolvency community in London took on the Tough Mudder race to raise funds for City Hospice, a charity close to their hearts. The group chose the 5-kilometre version of the obstacle course, which is known for its physically demanding challenges, including crawling under barbed wire, scaling massive rope nets and braving ice baths—all while being covered in mud.

The decision to participate stemmed from personal experiences, particularly the story of Michelle, a dear friend of the team who was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago. Michelle’s cancer has since spread, and in her honour, the group chose to support City Hospice with this incredible challenge.

Stephen Downie, Partner at Francis Wilks & Jones, said:

“When you are running Tough Mudder (I have done it twice now) the emphasis is on team work, which is why it is such a great experience.  No one runs off on their own and whilst there are varying levels of fitness – everyone stays on each obstacle helping each other over until all are there.  We started out as two groups of 9 but in the end we all ran and climbed together, which was great fun.”

The team’s fundraising target was originally £1,000 and they were over the moon when they surpassed the goal and

ended up with a total of £1,565 raised for City Hospice. Even though most who took part in the Tough Mudder were from London and the South East, Stephen added “many people I approached have faced similar experiences and were keen to contribute most particularly my firm and Mazars, a private accountancy and insolvency firm.”

Katie Vaughan, Community Fundraiser, added:

“Taking part in events and challenges like these enable City Hospice to be able to continue to care for the people of Cardiff facing life-limiting illnesses and offer essential care and support to their families. Stephen and his team of ‘Tough Mudders’ are true Hospice Heroes and we can’t thank them enough for choosing to support City Hospice with this challenge.”

Become a #HospiceHero

Would you like to become a #HospiceHero and support your local hospice? Download our fundraising pack today to find out how you can get involved!

City Hospice needs to raise over £3 million each year to provide our services free of charge. The funds raised by incredible individuals ensure we can continue to care for patients and their families during one of the most challenging times of their lives.