When the going gets tough...

On 24 March 2018 a hardy group of 19 from Downham Health & Leisure Centre took on Tough Mudder in support of The Brun Bear Foundation.

This intrepid band trained hard for the notorious and challenging 5K assault course.

In the gym they were whipped into shape by instructor Claire Riddell and outside the gym kept focused and motivated by Kashmir Thethi and each other! Thanks to Joanne Price, Team Downham were kitted out with bright Orange T-Shirts embossed with The Brun Bear Foundation logo on the front and Riddell Warriors on the back!

On the day Team Downham's legendary teamwork and spirit - otherwise known as the Downham Way! - came to the fore. Together they navigated a series of miltary grade obstacles that thoroughly tested their strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie.

And whether it was navigating giant pyramids, scaling walls, scrambling on all fours or swinging several metres above ground they all passed with flying colours.

An amazing £1,021.25 has been raised at the time of writing. This money will be split between three campaigns that registered charity The Brun Bear Foundation is presently running.

Campaign one is focused on fully funding 5,000 Wellbeing Wallets for pregnant mothers at University Hospital Lewisham and a further 5,000 wallets for pregnant mothers at The Princess Royal University Hospital. These wallets contain essential information for mothers-to-be and have had a great impact on preventing stillbirth across 30 trusts across the UK. The testimonials from mothers and medical staff as to their value is quite moving.

Campaign two is focused on animal welfare. The Brun Bear Foundation will fund the installation of CCTV cameras at the Utyos wild animal rehabilitation centre in Russia. Specifically, the system provides vital 24/7 security surveillance for the bear cubs in their care allowing staff to monitor for any intruders as well as keeping an eye on the cubs themselves and their welfare. It also ensures that the bear cubs have minimal contact with humans which means they are kept as wild as possible for their release back in the wild.

Campaign three is focused on community projects in the London Boroughs of Bromley and Lewisham. The Brun Bear Foundation is already a supporter of The Community Fit Bus and will continue this support as well as announce some new initiatives very soon.

Team Downham is not a squad that rests on its laurels! And new members are always welcome!

Training is now underway for The Downham TRIPLE Challenge on 9 June at Downham Health and Leisure Centre.

Team Downham is also looking forward to supporting Mother Bear!

This is a brand new fundraising event being organised by The Brun Bear Foundation. It takes place on Saturday 4 August at Bonus Pastor College and is a family fun day comprising a huge exhibition, eight themed zones, and lots of fun, food and festivity! To learn more see: www.motherbear.xyz

For more information on any of the events or causes please email brunhilfer@brunbearfoundation.uk

A huge thank you to: Kashmir Thethi; Claire Riddell; Joanne Price; Yvonne Gustard; Claire Bosher; Annmarie Marsh; Julie Gray; Laura Blackman; Juliana Amadi; Karen Welsh; Helen Lake; Marie Stewart-Gutierrez; Lisa Maclean; Donna Buckley Wilson; Katie Lee; Sheree Macconnachie; Sylvie Kamson-Kamara; Soliel Redwood, Zoe Yates and Abidur Rahman.

If you would like to make a donation to The Brun Bear Foundation please see: https://make-a-donation.org/charity/the-brun-bear-foundation

And you can learn more about their work at: www.brunbearfoundation.uk

As always, everyone is invited!