A legendary Scottish rock band, The Proclaimers, has joined Westbourne House School in Chichester and hopefully other schools across the UK, to encourage pupils and their parents to run a total of 500 miles and raise money for the NHS.
The band has generously agreed for their famous song, I’m Gonna Be (500 miles), to be used as the backing track on the Westbourne House School film to highlight the Westbourne House Home Run fundraiser and encourage other schools to take the ‘baton’ and pass it on.
At the Westbourne House Home run event pupils and their families (and even some pets) joined together with teachers and their families from all over Sussex, including Petworth, Midhurst, Bognor Regis, Arundel, Felpham, Littlehampton, Chichester and Bosham, to have a whole school event AT HOME.
Each family ran on the spot, up the stairs or in the garden and counted their distance, passing the baton (a loo roll insert) between them. The whole school ran 159 miles (256 km) and Westbourne House School is now passing the baton on to other schools in the hope that they can run up a 500 mile total.
Westbourne House School Year 4 teacher and event organiser, Mr James Stewart, said: "After seeing the exploits of Colonel Tom, it was very heartening to see so many happy Westbourne House School families taking part in our first Home Run.
“The distance covered and £1465 raised for the NHS was amazing, but for me it was the shared experience of feeling like the whole school was coming together in tough times, thinking of others and making the most or our time at home.
“Everyone who works at the school misses the children so much and this was a chance for us all to be together. The support from The Proclaimers was the icing on the cake and we are really grateful for their generosity. I have been a huge fan for many years and I really wanted to use their 500 mile classic banger to encourage other schools to get involved. Many thanks to everyone who took part and to all those who cheered us on from the sidelines."
If you would like to support the Westbourne House Home run visit:
View the photos from the Westbourne House Home Run.