On your marks, get set... for our charity fun run

St Mary’s annual charity fun run was back with a theatrical bang this year! Once again, we raised vital funds for local, national and international charities, all while donning our most extravagant fancy dress costumes.

The traditional fun run took place on Friday 22nd October 2021, with the Junior School descending upon Lammas Land, Newnham, at 1:30pm, followed closely by the Senior School at 2:15pm. Both students and staff created over-the-top costumes, each imaginatively designed to fit the theme, ‘Fun Run: The Musical’.

There was much scope for creativity, as participants drew inspiration from a wide range of sources, from classic Hollywood musicals and West End hits to the stars of Broadway. Head Teacher Mrs Avery and Head of Juniors Mrs Christian continued the tradition of joint costumes by appearing as Timone and Pumbaa from The Lion King. The event was a visual delight.

Every year, St Mary’s School raises a substantial amount of funds from this event, with more than £8250 collected in 2019 for charities including Friends of the Earth, Well Child and Cam Sight. Last year’s annual fun run was put on hold, for the first time in decades, due to the pandemic, but this year we rasied funds for the following great local, national and international causes:

• Cambridge Women's Aid
• EACH (East Anglia Children's Hospices)
• Alzheimer's Research UK
• Young Minds
• CJ Community in Zimbabwe – for the building of the new Mary Ward secondary school in Mbizo
• RENATE (Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking & Exploitation)

Charlotte Avery, Headmistress at St Mary’s School, said:

“Our traditional charity fun run is steeped in St Mary’s history and has always been a colourful and exuberant way to end the first half of the autumn term. This year will no doubt create a stir too, with our musically themed costumes all taking centre stage at the start line. With both the Senior and Junior Schools running in the event, and raising sponsorship money, we hope to raise lots of money for worthwhile causes at what continues to be a very challenging time for the third sector. We are always very grateful for the support and generosity that both our students and their parents give us for our chosen charities. Our thanks go to all of you and we look forward to celebrating this exciting day together.”

In addition, the school hosted a ‘Wellbeing Morning’ ahead of the fun run, where students enjoyed a carousel of activities, designed specifically for their mental wellbeing. Find out more here.

You can view our photo gallery for the Junior School fun run here, and for the Senior School here.