Essex & Herts Air Ambulance is calling on local people to sign up for Mission: Mud, a muddy obstacle course challenge taking place on Sunday 12 July 2026 at Nuclear Wild Forest, Kelvedon Hatch.
Proudly sponsored by Utilize, Mission: Mud invites adults and children aged six and over to take on a fun, muddy and memorable challenge while raising vital funds for the life-saving local charity.
Participants can choose from 60-minute or 90-minute sessions, taking on climbing walls, cargo nets, watery obstacles, giant slides and plenty of mud.
The event is suitable for friends, families, colleagues, schools, sports clubs and community groups, with tickets starting from £30. Each participant is also encouraged to raise at least £15 to help raise vital funds to support the charity.
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance is a charity providing a 24/7 Helicopter Emergency Medical Service across Essex, Hertfordshire and surrounding areas. The charity’s crews of highly skilled pilots, critical care paramedics and pre-hospital care doctors bring advanced emergency treatment directly to the patient, wherever they are.
With no government or lottery funding, the charity relies entirely on the support of local communities to keep the service operational.
Francesca Gillott, Events Manager at Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, who recently tried out the course with members of the charity’s crew, said: “Mission: Mud is honestly so much fun. We had lots of laughter, plenty of mud and a brilliant sense of achievement at the end. It’s one of those challenges where you can do as much as you feel able to, cheer each other on and have a really memorable day together. What makes it even more special is knowing that every splash, climb and muddy crawl is helping to raise money for Essex & Herts Air Ambulance. We rely on the support of our communities to keep our helicopters and crews able to respond rapidly to those who need urgent critical care, so taking part really does help make a difference.
Mission: Mud is a fun and rewarding way to support your local life-saving charity while taking on an exciting challenge at Nuclear Wild Forest. By getting involved, you’re not only pushing yourself, but also helping ensure we can continue to respond to those in urgent need across our region.”
Fundraising is also designed to be a fun and rewarding part of the experience. Participants can set up online fundraising pages through platforms such as JustGiving, making it easy for friends, family and colleagues to support both their challenge and the charity.
The charity is also encouraging supporters to get creative with fundraising, whether through bake sales, quiz nights, workplace events, school non-uniform days or community activities in the lead-up to the event.
For younger supporters, there is a Coin Splat Collector Sheet, giving children a fun way to reach their £15 fundraising target by collecting £1 coins to fill each muddy splat. Once completed, children can claim a thank-you reward at the event or afterwards.
Supporters can also purchase Mission: Mud t-shirts, hoodies and merchandise to wear while taking part or while cheering on friends, family or colleagues from the sidelines, with proceeds going directly to Essex & Herts Air Ambulance.
For spectators, there will also be food and drink available to purchase throughout the day as they move around sections of the course to cheer participants on and watch the action unfold.
Mission: Mud participants will receive a medal, running number, access to more than 25 obstacles, hot showers, changing facilities, free parking and digital photos from the day.
Those signing up will also receive fundraising ideas, tips and updates to help them make the most of their Mission: Mud experience.
To sign up, visit: https://ehaat.org/missionmud/
