Junior School pupils race to raise money for charity in fancy dress Fun Run

Pupils at St Mary’s Junior School enjoyed getting some fresh air and exercise on 23 October 2020 by racing around the Junior School garden to raise money for charity. This year, the school’s annual charity Fun Run, run in fancy dress, raised money for good causes including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Land Aid and Mary Ward High School in Zimbabwe. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants ‘wishes’ to children living with critical conditions, from meeting a celebrity hero to going on an amazing holiday; Land Aid aims to end youth homelessness in the UK; and Mary Ward High School, which opened its doors in January 2020, provides education to local children in Mbizo, Zimbabwe.

St Mary’s fundraises regularly for a range of local, national and international charities; in previous years money raised during the Fun Run has gone to charities such as Tom’s Trust and SENSE, with £7,000 raised during the Fun Run alone in 2019.

The Fun Run theme this year, ‘The Natural World’, saw the girls dress up as everything from rain clouds and lightning to butterflies, frogs, autumn leaves and flowers.

Mr Matthew O’Reilly, Head of St Mary’s Junior School, commented: “The girls really enjoyed racing around the garden, and it was great to see such fantastic costumes on display. Our annual charity Fun Run is always a great occasion to have some fun and raise money for good causes at the same time!”