*You can choose to donate to either charity, or give to both, by selecting the team member with the associated charity from the two options*

Flossie Dove, Angus Hayward and Charlie Robinson are competing in the Marathon des Sables in April 2024 to fundraise for two amazing charities that mean a lot to us – MacMillan Cancer Support and Head Up Charity.

The Marathon des Sables is a gruelling multi-stage ultra marathon in the scorching Sahara Desert, with temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius. Known as the 'Toughest Footrace on Earth', it is six days’ running over 252 km (156 miles) across sand dunes and rocky jebels and the rules require you to be self-sufficient – except for rationed water you must carry everything (food, sleeping bag, supplies) on your back.

The exact course distances change each year but has been confirmed as the following:

Day 1 – 31km

Day 2 – 41km

Day 3 – 85km

Day 4 – 43km

Day 5 – 31km

Day 6 – 21km

It will be the biggest challenge each of us has ever endured, and we are aiming to raise £15,000 for two fantastic charities.

Head Up Charity

Head Up Charity is a new UK Armed Forces charity set up by veterans, intending to promote mental health awareness for UK Armed Forces, and help Forces personnel build a positive mindset and improve their mental resilience. Head Up aims to raise funds to establish The Retreat, which will be a safe haven for serving Military personnel and Veterans to enable them to deal with mental health difficulties.

Charlie is ex-military and his dad works closely with the charity supporting veterans and those in active service.

MacMillan Cancer Support

In 2023 Flossie’s mum, Annie, was diagnosed with aggressive kidney cancer and sadly passed away just 10 weeks later. During this time, MacMillan CS provided incredible support to the family and we want to make sure other families going through a difficult time are able to receive the same.

Sadly right now, more than 3 million people are living with cancer in the UK. MacMillan Cancer Support provide physical, financial and emotional support services for people living with cancer, fund cancer research, and provide healthcare professionals with resources and tools to deliver the best possible cancer care.

We want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for your donation – it really means a lot!