A TEAM of “Neonatal Nutter” nurses will brave the cold, the wet and the mud to raise money for sick and premature babies at home and abroad.

The team of nine staff at Colchester General Hospital will slip and slide their way through six kilometres of mud in the Gauntlet in Finchingfield, near Braintree, on October 6.

Half of the money raised will go towards buying a cerebral function monitor for use on the unit, which would enable staff to monitor “at risk” babies and quickly identify and treat any at risk of brain injury.

The remaining cash will support Ray Emslie, a technician at the trust who has secured syringe drivers which can be used to treat sick babies at a neonatal unit in Uganda.

Sister Claudia Morton said: “As a team we’re looking forward to the challenge.

“Our team motto is: ‘No-one gets left behind’, which will be interesting because we have regular keen runners alongside couch potatoes.

“But as different as we are, we’re all passionate about our work and our ultimate aim is to raise money for equipment in our nut as well as a neo natal unit in Uganda.”

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/Neonatal-Nutters or text NNUT77 with the donation amount to 70070.