Taking on the lung-bursting course which includes Rope Climbs, Slip Walls and a Barbed Wire Crawl, Stuart is raising funds for CHIPS, the children’s charity which was launched by members of the gambling industry and has provided over 700 wheelchairs to youngsters with profound mobility issues.

Looking ahead to the ‘Beast’, which is taking place 17 May in the Chiltern Hills, west London, Stuart Hunter said: “CHIPS is a quite brilliant charity that’s very close to my heart. Each CHIPS wheelchair is a piece of precision engineering designed to meet the complex physiological requirements of each individual child. As a CHIPS Trustee I have been privileged to attend a number of the presentations and to see for myself the wonderful impact a chair has. Giving a child the gift of freedom opens up a new vista of previously inaccessible opportunities enabling them to navigate their world with dignity and independence, in the process enhancing and accelerating their personal development.”

He added: “By completing the Beast, which is the ultimate Spartan test I hope to raise £6,000 which will ensure that one family can be fully supported. Any individual or business that feels able to contribute to my target can do so via JustGiving which is simple, fast, and totally secure. 100 percent of all contributions will go direct to cover the cost of a wheelchair and will be hugely appreciated by myself personally but most significantly by the youngster and his/her family.”

CHIPS co-founder Linda Lindsay noted: “The charity was formed out of the gambling industry and the vast majority of the £4.5m that we have managed to generate has been thanks to the amazing generosity of organisations such as Clarion Gaming which has been a long-time supporter and whose contributions have enabled us to help more youngsters and their families each year.

“CHIPS fundraisers have regularly pushed themselves to the limit in aid of the charity but I can’t recall anyone completing a 13-mile assault course and crawling underneath barbed wire! It’s this ‘can do’ attitude which defines our industry and I wish Stuart all the very best when he takes on what sounds like a quite formidable challenge!”

Donations for Stuart’s CHIPS fundraiser can be made at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/stuart-hunter-3