A group of colleagues from a West Midlands taxi firm has been ‘hailed’ as this week’s charity champion after taking on the epic Wolf Run challenge to raise over £500 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.

The 11 fearless co-workers from Birmingham and Solihull-based A2B Radio Cars pulled together to complete the gruelling 10k obstacle course in Leicestershire.  They tackled thick mud, rough terrain, woodland and lakes to help the hospital’s sick kids, after the company chose Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity as one of its charity partners for this year – a decision which meant a lot to a number of staff members who have personal connections with the hospital.

Just two of those colleagues are Driver Liaison Officer Steven Benfield, whose granddaughter was cared for at the hospital after being born prematurely, and Senior Claims Handler, Andrew Wilde whose daughter, Alessa, is having on-going treatment at the Steelhouse Lane site.

Four-year-old Alessa has just had her second operation at the hospital for a condition called Strabismus, which affects the eyes. More commonly known as a squint, Strabismus is a condition in which a person cannot align both eyes simultaneously under normal conditions. As in Alessa’s case, this can be corrected with surgery to move the muscles behind the eye which allows it to realign with the other eye.

Andrew said: “The work that goes on at Birmingham Children’s Hospital is absolutely amazing and after all the time that I’ve spent there with Alessa, I honestly can’t fault it. I was so pleased that we had the chance to fundraise for the hospital and even though the Wolf Run was such a tough challenge, it was great to see the team come together and support each other to the end.”

Miranda Williams, Public Fundraising Manager at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said: “We’re so thankful to A2B Radio Cars for taking on the epic Wolf Run in aid of our young patients. We treat 90,000 children here every year, so it’s likely that most people have a connection to the hospital, as is the case with Steven and Andrew. The funds raised will go towards helping us do more for our sick kids to ensure they and their families have the best possible experience when they visit our hospital.”