Do you like mess or know any children who are good at making it? On August 19 a Messathon is taking place at Aldenham Country Park in Elstree, Hertfordshire.

It is a ‘messtastic’ obstacle course for families that encourages them to be as messy as possible whilst raising money for the NSPCC.

Parents and children aged four and up will become ‘Messathletes’ as they splatter through mud, swoosh along the water slide and scramble over hay bales in a 2.5 kilometre obstacle course.

Emily Cherry, the NSPCC’s head of children and young people’s participation, will be taking part in the Messathon with her husband and two children.

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She says: “The reason we wanted to take part in the Messathon is that my husband, through teaching, has seen a big rise in mental health issues relating to children and knows how important Childline is to young people.

“My kids have taken part in NSPCC Speak Out Stay Safe assemblies and they have seen how important it is to stay happy and safe so they want to help other children feel safe and happy.

“For us as a family if we can have great fun and help children then that’s the best day ever.”

Once families finish the course, they can make a day of it by visiting the attractions on offer at the park, including woodland walks, a farm, indoor play barn, adventure playground, pony rides and Winnie the Pooh’s house.

NSPCC’s community fundraising manager for Herts, Beds and Bucks, Jacqui Venters, says: “Messathon is the perfect event for bringing families together, getting them active, working as a team and of course, the one thing that most children love to do…getting messy!

“We wish all participants good luck in their fundraising and we would like to thank them in advance for helping the charity support and protect children from abuse.”

To sign up and register to participate in Messathon, visit nspcc.org.uk/messathon. There are also volunteer opportunities for Messathon, email messathon@nspcc.org.uk