Member Article

Energy employees descend into muddy madness to support charity

A group of local hardcore energy employees put their physical and mental strength to the test by completing a gruelling, mud filled event in aid of Breast Cancer Now.

A team of eight EDF Energy employees from the company’s Sunderland based Doxford Park Customer Service Centre, recently took part in a 10-mile Tough Mudder assault course in Cheshire.

Organiser Natasha Robson, who has worked for EDF Energy for over 5 years, took part in the course alongside colleagues Elisa Jackson, Mark Watson, Tom Usher, Claire Edmundson, Michael Jones, Andrew Collins and Martin Atkinson. The team have now raised over £2,800 for Breast Cancer Now, with donations still coming in.

Tough Mudder is an army style endurance event, in which participants complete assault courses littered with mud and obstacles designed to break even the strongest.

The EDF Energy team, who all have friends and family who’ve been impacted by cancer, wanted to do something that was physically challenging and they weren’t disappointed, overcoming obstacles such as ice baths and barbed wire crawls.

Natasha said: “We were all tired, battered and bruised by the end of the course but we really enjoyed it and worked as a team throughout.

“We helped each other through the obstacles, giving each other a hug when we’d fallen and felt like crying and of course laughing together at how much mud we’d attracted.

“It gave us a great sense of togetherness and highlighted how we can come together to work through difficult times and raise funds for such a worthwhile charity.”

Breast Cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK, more than 50,000 women and 350 men are diagnosed every year. Breast Cancer Now is the UK’s largest breast cancer charity, they believe that if we all act now, by 2050, everyone who develops breast cancer will live.

EDF Energy teamed together with Breast Cancer Now in 2016 and to date employees have raised over £300,000 for the charity and its research.

Kevin Gatens, head of customer service North East said: “I’m proud of the team for completing such a strenuous task in aid of an amazing charity. They’ve truly shown how well they work together as a team to combat difficulties.”

To find out more about the team and to donate visit: mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/mudbemaddoxford

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by EDF Energy .