SCHOOLS NEWS
STUDENTS and staff from United Learning’s Accrington and Hyndburn Academies joined forces to raise funds for Sport Relief last week.
A brave teaching duo undertook a gruelling 600-mile bike ride, while students held a week of sports-based activities, all to raise money for the charity which aims to tackle critical issues across the UK and the world.
United Learning’s head of sport, Shaun Dowling, and educational technologist Bruce Wilson, cycled from Ashford to Bournemouth to Carlisle, stopping at Accrington Academy on the way.
They started the epic cycle ride, called RideABC, on Monday, March 5, finishing on Monday, March 12.
The pair were raising money for Sport Relief and SITUPS, United Learning’s project which uses the power of sport to drive improvement across its schools.
Across the UK, thousands of pupils and their teachers raised money for Sport Relief last week.
Accrington and Hyndburn academies held a week of sports activities at the Accrington site to add to the funds raised by Shaun and Bruce.
These included swimming and longball, skipping and a five-a-side football tournament, cricket and even a ‘bounceathon’.
On Friday, March 9, the academies staged a ‘flash-mob’ at Accrington’s Queen’s Road West site to greet Shaun and Bruce when they arrived.
Shaun said: “This whole challenge was about testing our own resilience as well as raising money for some excellent causes.
“Our hope was that RideABC would also stimulate some exciting sporting activity and physical challenges in our schools.
“Schools have surpassed our expectations and we have been thrilled to see so many of our young people – from nursery pupils through to sixth formers – getting active, having fun and raising money for charity.”
Three days after arriving in Accrington, the pair cycled into their final destination, Carlisle.
Of the funds raised from the RideABC challenge and all supporting activities, 75 per cent is being donated to Sport Relief, with the remaining 25pc going towards SITUPS.
Bruce said: “The response from schools at each stage of our journey has been incredible and despite some rainy days everyone has pulled out the stops to play their part in the fundraising side of RideABC.
“The challenge itself was a real test of endurance for us but the training paid off and we’re relieved to have made it through successfully. Thank you to everyone – from Sport Relief to our bike mechanics, and all our colleagues and their pupils, who made it such a successful and memorable experience.”
To donate to RideABC, visit www.mydonate.bt.com/events/rideabc.