Two brothers have joined efforts in taking different charity challenges to raise funds for Beaumound House Hospice

Two brothers have completed charity challenges to raise over £1,000 for the hospice that helped their grandfather in his final weeks.

Declan Mulligan and his brother Tommy Mulligan took part in climbing and boxing challenges respectively in support of Beaumond House Hospice, raising over £1,500.

The duo decided to raise funds for the hospice in honour of their grandfather, Tom Hughes, a Welshman who lived in Newark for most of his life.

Declan walked 140 miles from his home in Mansfield to Mount Snowdon, as his grandfather served as a mountain rescuer on Snowdon for seven years, as well as serving as a firefighter in Anglesey.

Initially, Declan was set to complete the challenge in six days, from August 2 until Friday (August 8), however, he managed to walk the distance from his home to the bottom of the mountain in five days so he gave himself a day of rest.

Despite the challenging week, Declan described the experience as ‘eye-opening’ and was happy and relieved that everything went according to plan, apart from having to camp in the damp and cold near Wrexham one night.

He said that one of the hardest times, apart from this night in the cold, was the climb up Snowdon.

On August 8, his family and friends joined him at the bottom of the mountain to support him, with his mother, Rachel Mulligan, nephew Tristan and friend John Bell climbing alongside him, which he described as being quite emotional.

Declan added: “I definitely had a lot of time to think about a lot of things, so I've come back with a bit of a bigger perspective on things.

“It's so nice to know I had a lot of people, I had a lot of family and friends checking on me and messaging me constantly, which was amazing.

“It makes you really grateful for the kind of support system you've got.

“It was really it was a difficult climb because I'd walked so far before it, and if it wasn't for everyone and the people climbing it with me, I don't know if I could have made it up.

“My granddad was always somebody who believed that we could do anything that we set our minds to.

“So for me, I just had to keep remembering that it's only walking, I just keep going, and I can do it no matter what.”

At the summit, they scattered the ashes of his late grandparents, Tom and Jean Hughes.

Declan’s brother, Tommy, who was born and raised in Newark, decided to honour his grandad’s memory through a charity boxing match.

Growing up, Tommy used to box at Newark Amateur Boxing Club and at the Mansfield Gym for the Robin Hood boxing club.

Tommy works overseas in Iraq and did his training in the desert before taking up the match last Saturday (August 9), at Nottingham Palais, supported by RAGE Fight Academy and Camp.

Tommy hasn’t fought competitively since he left for Iraq, eight years ago, but decided to put the gloves back on and have ‘one last dance’.

“My grandfather used to be a mountain rescuer, but he also used to be involved with the amateur boxing clubs in Newark, so I decided to jump in the ring one last time,” said Tommy.

He spoke to Ashton Promotions and asked to be part of the Nottingham show line-up.

He said: “I asked them to find me the hardest man in Nottingham, and the only way to describe him was like fighting Ivan Drago.

“Never in my 16 previous fights have I felt power like that in my life, and I've sparred with pros and amateurs.”

The fight was stopped in the second round by the referee as Tommy was knocked down at the end of the first round.

The fight was stopped again through the second round as Tommy wasn’t recovering, and continuing would have led the 35-year-old to get hurt.

Tommy said: “The whole thing was quite emotional.

“When you're getting ready for a fight, it's quite inclusive, like you have tunnel vision, and you have to get your mind right.

“But this time, with the added emotions, it felt a bit more to me than just a standard fight that I'm used to having, so it carried that weight into the ring with me, but it also gave me energy as well.”

Despite not having won the fight, Tommy, alongside his brother, managed to raise over £1,500 through a JustGiving page and cash collections.

Declan said: “I feel that it's something my grandma and granddad would have been really proud of us all for doing, even from my brother's fighting to my mum and my nephew collaborating with me and what I did as well I think they'd have been amazingly proud of that.”

Their mother, Rachel Mulligan said: “I can’t even put into words how proud I am of my boys.

“They each took on such emotional challenges in memory of a man who wasn’t just my hero but a hero to all his grandchildren.

“What they’ve done has been a big part of helping us through the grief — something we’ve all struggled with. Being able to scatter my dad’s ashes back home on Snowdon and to lay mum’s ashes with him brought me a huge sense of peace.

“The amount they’ve raised just blows me away, and knowing it’s going to such a worthy cause makes me so happy.

“I know Mum and Dad were with them both every step of the way, and as a family we couldn’t be prouder.”