A Perthshire couple who were drowning in debt have braved a gruelling obstacle course to raise money for the charity that “saved their lives”.
Steve and Jenny Brayshaw took part in the Tough Mudder challenge at Drumlanrig to raise money for the CAP Debt Centre team in Aberfeldy.
As part of the event the pair, who live in Blairgowrie, took on a eleven-mile obstacle course that involved wading through mud and icy water.
In October 2015 the couple, who are now debt free, owed over £18,000 and could see no way out of their situation, with three hungry children to feed, virtually no food in the house and less than £1 in Jenny’s purse.
She said: “That morning I had gone to the local supermarket to see if I could get some reduced food to feed the boys with, but I found that I only had 68p in my purse and we had nothing else in the bank.
“In that moment I wept, I was beside myself with disappointment, fear, inadequacy, and every negative emotion you can think of. Enough was enough.”
Steve, 31, and Jenny, 27, decided to approach the CAP Debt Centre in Aberfeldy, for help and were visited in their home by representatives of the charity.
Steve said: “They brought a human touch and practical support while we went through the turbulent process of dealing with our debts, always treating us with respect and dignity.
“They dealt with our paperwork and liaised with our creditors, from the moment we got in touch with CAP it felt like a wall had been built between the barrage of phone calls and letters; this gave us the space and time to begin to re-build our lives.”
Jenny added: “It makes me cry just thinking about it now, I know without a doubt that if we hadn’t allowed CAP into our lives and asked for help, we would be in a very different place now.
“That’s why Steve and me decided to do Tough Mudder, because money can be such a taboo subject and we want other local families to get the help that we did.”
Angela Hanvey, CAP Highland Perthshire Debt Centre manager said: “Jenny and Steve are a remarkable couple who have been through a lot, but with our help and their determination, they have managed to get back on their feet. They are truly inspirational.
“They managed to raise around £395 For CAP and we are extremely grateful to them for that.”
