On 9th May I’ll be taking on Tough Mudder London West — which, for those who know it, involves 8-foot walls, swinging trapezes, and cold water pits designed to test both stamina and nerve.

I’m doing it to raise funds for the SS Great Britain Trust, where I have the privilege of serving as Chair.

When Isambard Kingdom Brunel launched the SS Great Britain in 1843, it was a revolutionary leap in engineering — the world’s first great iron steamship, redefining global travel and industrial ambition. Today, 140,000 visitors a year step aboard in Bristol, and more than 14,000 schoolchildren take part in our award-winning education programmes.

We work with some of the most educationally deprived schools in the region through initiatives like Golden Ticket, deliver specialist SEN workshops, and run our Future Brunels STEM programme to inspire the next generation of engineers and innovators.

Every pound raised helps us:

- Keep this extraordinary ship conserved for the future

- Deliver free and subsidised education to those who need it most

- Reimagine our Dockyard Museum opening in 2026

- Expand access to communities underrepresented in heritage

Tough Mudder will hurt for a few hours.

Protecting and inspiring the next generation matters for decades.

If you can sponsor me — at any level — I would be deeply grateful.