Fund raising hero Tim Ansell is working his way towards achieving 10,000 abdominal sit-up crunches during lockdown - inspired by the courage of a boy called Archie Hill.

Tim, 46, whose company is in Burnham and who lives in Chalfont St Peter, hopes to raise £2,000 for the charity Muscular Dystrophy UK and is managing 300 sit-ups a day as he aims for his target in his home and garden.

Archie, 15, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2009 and his parents, Gary and Louisa Hill from Buckinghamshire, set up Action4Archie to raise vital funds for the Muscular Dystrophy UK’s Duchenne Research Breakthrough Fund.

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In 2012 they became ambassadors for the fund.

Tim said: “I got to know Archie and his family through mutual friends and my involvement with Chalfont and Burnham football clubs, where Archie’s brother Leyton plays. When I met Archie and his parents and heard their incredible story I felt inspired and invigorated by the way they have faced up to their challenges and wanted to help."

Under guidance online from a PT instructor, Tim is crunching his way through a gruelling routine of 15 x 23 per minute bursts until he has completed his daily goal.

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He is halfway through and says: "It is significantly harder than I thought. But it is good for me to take on a challenge and at least I know I have abs now."

As the recent founder of print specialist company FOC Audit in Burnham, which has announced MDUK as its official charity, Tim has also faced his own challenges this year.

He said: “I think we all have to be mindful of how the pandemic is affecting people’s lives and reflect on how things will change, but hopefully for the better. This experience has certainly opened my eyes and helped me to focus.”

FOC will continue to present 10 per cent of its profits to the charity.

Tim's Just Giving page can be found on https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/focaudit