Last week I popped down to Quinton, one of PDSA's Petaid Hospitals in Birmingham. For 41 years this hospital has been providing veterinary care to the pets of local people who cannot afford private veterinary care. The building has expanded into neighbouring properties being adapted and changed to try and meet the increasing workload that PDSA has to face.

This expansion has resulted in a jumbled, cramped feel where the staff are almost on top of each other. Storage space is so limited that one of the kennels is taken up with storing medical equipment even though there are not enough large kennels for the patients.

With nearly 50 Hospitals across the UK to maintain every year its not surprising that this building hasn't been replaced already. It takes a huge amount of money to buy land, build and run one of these centres. Walking through the hospital I am amazed at how well the staff are coping, but it's clear speaking to them how difficult they are finding getting through the daily work in an efficient manner. Like Cardiff and Plymouth, Birmingham is overdue a new hospital to allow PDSA to continue its incredibly important work for the next 41 years. A new building will have a proper car park, six consult rooms, instead of the current four, and up to date surgical facilities.

I was there to record some video material to help promote the hospital campaign that has already raised enough money for Plymouth's new hospital that will be opening later this year but still needs a big push to help out the desperate situations on Cardiff and Birmingham.

Even trying to film in the Xray room to show its large, old, cumbersome machine that needs replacing was difficult as this room is the only room available to treat inpatients even though it requires them to be carried through the surgical prep area which is crammed with people and patients already.

Having worked in one of PDSA's more up to date hospitals and seeing the designs of the modern hospitals it was quite amazing to visit one of the oldest buildings they currently work in. The only thing that is keeping moral up in this hospital is the knowledge that there is this huge push to try and get them a replacement building that will make their lives and the lives of their patients so much better.

Please give them a well-deserved boost by donating even a small amount to keep the totals rising and us moving towards a brighter future.

To see how you can help CLICK HERE.

Those who have been following me on twitter will have realised that I took part in a spectacular event over last weekend. I just so happened to be in the pub the previous thursday night and the barmaid told me the lads were short of a man for Saturday's outing, namely 'The MS Challenge'. Whitchurch Rugby Club have entered a team for many years now of which I had been aware as some of my mates regularly take part and I have sponsored them in the past. They had told me it was tough and that they took no prisoners. It wasn't a race, I was told, but we had to come first.

Basically the event entails up to 12 people wheeling and carrying a passenger in a wheelchair up a hill, through a swampy forest and back down the hill. Our passenger was Alison, an MS sufferer, who amazingly has allowed these nutters to cart her not-that-gently up and down this course for a number of years now

After rigging the chair with a purpose-built frame to provide eight carrying handles we took our place at the start. All the guys who'd done this before had warned me about 'the hill'. The first mile of the course is a snaky forest track up the hill and it's relentless, switching back and to with no clear end. So with Alison carefully seated we set off like a bull at a gate.

After the first ten minutes I thought my lungs were going to burst - I had done no real training for this at all except for a 30min run in Zim and a bit of touch rugby the Sunday before - but the pace never let up and at the top of the hill we caught the team that had started 45 minutes before us. Alison had to be relieved that we had come off the gravel I'm sure as it must have rattled all her teeth loose but things were about to get even more difficult as we entered the forest. The last months rain had soaked into the spongy ground and turned the whole area into a swamp. Alison was lifted clear of the ground and we charged through the woods, over fallen trees and across mud-filled ditches where we nearly lost Fu-bar.

Still we ploughed on at a merciless pace up yet more grassy hills and through more boggy pits. In all the course was around 5-6 miles and the last mile was back down the gravel hill. Charging down the hill with Alison hanging on for dear life I was ecstatic to see the finish line. I had worked far harder than I thought was possible. The lads have such an amazing team spirit and push each other incredibly hard. We completed the whole thing in an hour and a half where other teams would take in excess of twice that time. We were shattered, filthy and thirsty so we jumped in the river for a wash down and a few beers (Ginger beer in my case - thanks Tommy). 

But the person who really deserved a drink was Alison who, throughout the whole ordeal, smiled and encouraged us all on despite being thrown all over the place, shaken to pieces and almost-but-not-quite dropped on a number of occasions. Alison uses the MS Support Centre in Chester regularly and knows that this is an important fund-raising event to help keep the centre running. After the dip in the river our pain and discomfort would fade away in a matter of a few days but that's not the case with those who have Multiple Sclerosis.