STAFF at Playbox Playgroup in Middlewich were overwhelmed when one dad secretly took on the Tough Mudder challenge to raise money for new play equipment.


The playgroup at the Community Centre in Civic Way now has sparkly new play equipment including a slide and push bikes thanks to Paul Leigh, whose three-year-old son Logan attends the group.


Paul completed the Tough Mudder challenge earlier in the year, and, having gained sponsors from people around Middlewich without anyone at the Playbox Playgroup knowing, it proved to be a nice surprise when the staff found new equipment in the play area.


Along with the gift of the new toys, Paul gave a card to Sandra Lewis, who has worked at the playgroup for 34 years and managed it for more than 20 years.


Sandra said she was in tears at the kind gesture and was overwhelmed at the amount of people who sponsored Paul to help out the group.


“It was quite a surprise, I didn’t realise he was doing it,” Sandra said. “We desperately needed to replace some toys but couldn’t afford to and Paul started this sponsorship form without me knowing about it.


“After he’d done the challenge, I came in and all this play equipment was in the play area outside. A colleague said where’s all that come from and I said maybe Tesco have ordered it because they were helping us too. I’ll never be able to thank Paul enough, the children absolutely love it.


“He wrote me the most beautiful card and said it was from all of the children I have helped throughout the years. I was in tears.


“His daughter Ellie is at the high school now and she came here and he said he wanted to say thank you for what she had got out of it and for all the children of Middlewich.


“I said to him I need to know who sponsored you and he said ‘a lot of people in Middlewich who think a lot of you.”