PC Group Raise Over £1000 for Derian House

Derian House is an incredible charity providing end-of-life care for children and young people in Lancashire. Their services are offered free of charge to children and families across the North West. At any one time, they provide care for more than 400 seriously ill babies, children and young people. While these services are offered free, they cost Derian House around £6 million a year to provide.

At Personnel Checks, we love supporting our local community and we run multiple charity events each year to do as much as we can. This year was the first time we chose to raise money for Derian House and it’s safe to say it’s made a lasting impression on the team.

Our resident Graphic Designer, Erin, led a team of seven from across PC Group, including our Sales team, Hayley, Tom, and Tyra; Chris, our Junior Developer; Humaira, one of our Counter-signatories & Operations Executives; and our Managing Director, Jack Mellor.

Completing both Derian House’s £50 Business Challenge and a 10k Tough Mudder the team has managed to raise a total of £1077!

£50 Business Challenge

The Derian House £50 Business Challenge ran from April to July. The team were given £50 and challenged to turn it into as much money as possible.

At PC Group it would be an understatement to say we enjoy food. Most of our celebrations revolve around cakes or meals out, and there is always a healthy supply of snacks on offer in the office. With this in mind, the team decided to do 2 food-based fundraising events to turn the £50 into as much as possible.

First up, the team all chipped together and produced a selection of sweet treats for a bake sale which raised well over £150. This was followed by an ‘Eggy Breakfast’ event delivered by Jack. Set up in the kitchen with an induction hob, a frying pan and a stack of eggs, Jack made breakfast for nearly everyone in the office on his own. By the end of these challenges the team had raised well over £250 and were on track for their target of £1500

Tough Mudder

If you’re unfamiliar with Tough Mudder, they are considered “some of the world’s most intense obstacle courses”. As the name suggests they are tough, muddy and designed to push people to their limits.

Taking on Tough Mudder is fast becoming an annual event for PC Group. Most of the team returned this year after our first attempt last year for Lancashire Mind. But this year they opted for a 10k over the 5km. At the last minute, Erin’s partner Karl stepped up to replace our Managing Director, Jack Mellor, who had to drop out.

The Mudderhorn

There are over 20 obstacles in the 10k Tough Mudder. We asked the team which obstacle was their least favourite, and the response was mixed.

Erin and Tyra both claimed The Mudderhorn as their least favourite. The Mudderhorn is a three-storey high climbing frame that Mudders must ascend 40ft into the air and then 40ft down the other side. Here’s what they had to say about it:

Erin:

“I would say the Mudderhorn was my least favourite because it's so high up and wobbly. If you fell you would probably die. It's also the one that I faceplanted on”

Tyra echoed this:

“I can’t remember what it was called but the big net pyramid one where you have to run up a wall first -- I think its Mudderhorn

Mudderhorn is my least favourite because one i’m scared of heights so when I get to the top and have to look down to come back down, I get a little panicky and two because I’ve hurt my knee after repeatedly throwing myself at the wall to try and climb up it in the first place”

Whilst one of the least muddy obstacles on the course, being stuck in the sky isn’t most people’s idea of a good time!

Cage Crawl

For our Head of Sales, Hayley, her least favourite was by far the Cage Crawl - for good reason.

“Would have to be cage crawl, because swimming backwards through muddy water in a cage with a few inches of a gap to breath .....is not my idea of a very nice day out! 6 baths later and numerous showers and I still don't feel clean!”

For the Cage Crawl, you must pull yourself along a 48-foot pit of water with just 4 inches of breathing space. If you’re claustrophobic, this is definitely not the obstacle for you!

Hero Walls

 Chris is one of the smaller members of PC Group, so his least favourite obstacle came as no surprise - the Hero Walls. In his own words:

“I hated the walls because I’m small…

There were like two walls in a row and they were both like 8ft high and it was an absolute pain to climb - Tom had to boost me over every step of the way"

I think they were called the Hero Walls”

The Hero Walls are some of the oldest Tough Mudder obstacles and despite their simplicity, the teamwork required to overcome this obstacle is one of the key reasons it remains a favourite.

Arctic Enema

Humaira’s least favourite was by far the Arctic Enema - and even before we explain what this is, we’re sure you can imagine it’s unpleasant.

The Arctic Enema involves around 8 tonnes of ice in a pool which Mudders are dunked into up to their chest (if you’re lucky) or up to your neck if you’re small. You then have to wade through, climbing over an obstacle to get dunked back into the ice once again.

It has been described as the “worst brain freeze you’ve ever had, but for your body”. According to Humaira, it was the worst because:

“Arctic Enema was my least favourite, simply because I couldn’t keep afloat in the water without support and probably drowned for a good 10 seconds”

Last but not least, we have Tom - whose least favourite was Just The Tip. This climbing challenge involves a variety of small and oddly shaped handholds to navigate.

Commenting on the difficulty, Tom said:

“Without a doubt, Just The Tip was the worst. As soon as I got to the weird door handle holds it felt like someone had pulled my arms with a rack torture device. Definitely helped that we were already soaked though, who doesn't want slippy hands whilst climbing?”

Definitely one to put your upper body strength on trial!

Next Year?

While its probably a bit too soon for the team to decide if they want to complete another Tough Mudder next year, one thing is certain - the fundraising for Derian House has all been worth it. Over £1000 raised to support an incredible local charity has made it all worth it.

If you know of any local charities that need support, we’d love to hear from you. We’re always ready to take on a challenge for a good cause! Just drop us an email to letstalk@personnelchecks.co.uk.