A BOOT camp challenge has raised hundreds of pounds for a mental health charity.

Staff working at healthcare software and services company, Egton, which is part of the Emis group, held twice weekly sessions in aid of Mind.

The eight-strong team, based in Rawdon, decided on the boot camp challenge as part of a partnership with the charity to get fitter, raise awareness of mental health and raise money for Infoline, a vital resource for people with mental health problems.

During May, staff took part in ten gruelling early morning sessions, led by personal trainer Keith Mason. Each session started with high intensity interval training such as bear crawls, squat jumps or jumping jacks and finished with boxing. Staff raised £850 for Mind.

Egton marketing campaign manager and organiser Hayley Levene said: “The Egton team took on the challenge to highlight how much physical exercise can help your mental health. Each of us also had a different personal goal in mind. For some it was to improve fitness before taking part in Total Warrior, a tough obstacle race. For others, it was part of a weight loss plan. But for all of us, it was about taking one hour, twice a week, to focus on our own health and wellbeing, while raising money for a fantastic cause.

“For me, it was great to lose half a stone and feel fitter. A colleague with a bad back has found it beneficial for that, and another says he feels leaner and fitter. We’ve all had fun and felt better for it. I’d definitely recommend it to other colleagues if we do it again.”

EMIS Group’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Shaun O’Hanlon said: “This is the latest in a series of challenges our teams have completed, as part of our Caring EMIS programme, which we launched this year. It’s fantastic to see so many employees getting involved, not only to raise money and awareness for Mind, but to improve their own health and wellbeing.”