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The caring route to healthier schools
Do you want to get fit, create a healthy school, have fun and raise money for good causes along the way? There are more ways than you may realise to do all these things at once.
Whether it's hurling yourself from an aeroplane, leading a team of huskies across the frozen north, or simply organising a school fun run, there are numerous organisations that are happy to help.
Many charities now provide comprehensive teachers' packs to get school fundraising off to a good start, as well as spin-off resources for assemblies, PSHE, Citizenship and other aspects of the curriculum.
Running and walking
Running is a popular fundraising activity, and the Flora
London Marathon is one of the biggest events. Over 2 000 teachers took
part in the marathon this year and spaces for April 2005 are filling up
fast.
For those teachers who participate, the gains in terms of fitness, personal achievement and stress relief can be enormous, and the experience can also benefit their work.
'I did the 2004 marathon in 3 hours and 46 minutes,' said David Redpath, Head of IT at Brookway High School and Sports College, near Manchester. 'I'm a keen runner but the marathon is still very hard. I used the experience to motivate Year 10 pupils to work for their GCSEs. I suggested that if you put in some effort, you can achieve. It's easier to get up and do a bit of revision in the mornings than to run 20 miles before breakfast.'
David ran the marathon for Shelter, a charity for the homeless. 'I presented a few assemblies about Shelter using the information on their website. My head teacher was very supportive and with the help of friends, pupils and staff we raised £1 440.'
The Shelter site has fundraising ideas, classroom activities and support materials, including sponsorship forms and information about homelessness. See a list of other charities with guaranteed places for the Flora London Marathon 2005 who also provide resources for schools.
Besides the marathon, there are lots of other fundraising alternatives that involve putting your trainers on. World Run Day is an international day of running for charity, which involved over 3,000 participants in 600 cities worldwide in 2003.
This year the Rainforest Foundation is staging its own 10K fun run in London in November in support of World Run Day, as well as other fundraising runs in Thailand, along the Great Wall of China, and through the Himalayas.
The Great Gorilla Run is a seven-kilometre fun run which takes place in London and raises money for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the international charity that works to save the world's last remaining gorillas. It's a fun run with a difference: everyone who takes part wears a gorilla costume. This year the aim is to raise £250 000, which will go directly to fund over twenty projects in Africa.
SportsAid has information on the Great North Run, the Great South Run, the Great Manchester Run and the London Triathlon. Visit TeacherNet's charities page to find other local and national sports fundraising events run by charities across the country.
School fun runs
PE teachers Leah Jay, of Brynmawr School in Gwent, and Stephen Sloan,
of Brownedge St Mary's RC High School, near Preston, both held school fun
runs for Sport Relief earlier this year.
In Leah's school, an 11 to 19 comprehensive, 350 pupils and 25 staff each ran a mile, in teams of four, and raised over £3,500. 'Some of the sixth formers did it three-legged, so it was really good fun,' said Leah. 'We used information from Sport Relief for assemblies and for a notice board display and we linked it with work on healthy living. Even the pupils who were not sport-minded got a bit fitter and it definitely raised awareness of the work that Sport Relief does.'
Stephen, who raised £636 with a fun run for years 7, 8 and 9, said Brownedge St Mary's does a lot of fundraising throughout the year. 'Pupils get a lot out of it and some of them really enjoy the competitive element. We have competition between houses and it really gives an edge to the activities and builds a sense of teamwork and togetherness.'
It's always possible to make fundraising activities fun. Schools can raise money for Macmillan Cancer Relief with a Macmillan Miles Challenge, where you can walk backwards, skip, hop, knit, dance or doodle — as long as you do a mile.
There's also a chance to win a free mountain bike and certificates signed by Sebastian Coe OBE and Tanni Grey-Thompson OBE for schools that raise £1 000 or more for Get Kids Going, a charity that helps disabled children participate in sport. Or how about the Burgess Supa Dog Get Fit Challenge where you can raise money by walking your dog!
Something more adventurous
If you really want to be put through your paces, you can. Earlier this
year, just half way through the Peak District Challenge in aid of Macmillan
Cancer Relief, Ali Brown, Head of PE at Bishop Wand C of E School in
Sunbury, Surrey, was so wet and frozen she could barely move. 'We had to do
15 peaks in 48 hours, over a distance of about 35 kilometres, and camp
out,' said Ali. 'After the fourth peak the weather closed in and we
were in driving rain and hail for hours.'
Ali put £1 from every ticket sold for a school dance show towards her total, and also used contacts to get good prizes for a school raffle. Every night of the show, a pupil also gave a short presentation about the charity. Ali also organised a Sport Relief run for Year 7 and hopes to take part in the marathon next year.'
Head teacher Helen Hyde, from Watford Grammar School for Girls, raised £2 000 for the Anthony Nolan Trust this year by climbing Ben Nevis. In the schools 300th anniversary year, she was able to plant a school flag on the top of the mountain and take a photo just before the weather closed in. The school has raised a total of £7 000 for charity this year.
'The children raised money by organising sponsored silences, cake stalls and washing staff cars. Every class in the school chooses a charity so we're used to fundraising. I had never climbed a mountain before so I talked about the experience and about the Anthony Nolan Trust in assemblies and in PSHE.'
If climbing doesn't appeal, there are opportunities for parachute jumping, cycling and trekking with The Meningitis Trust.
The British Heart Foundation organises 'World Experiences', globetrotting fundraising opportunities that include an Inca Trail Trek, a Rainforest Trek, the Champagne Route Bike Ride and the China Run.
You can try your hand at ski marathons, white water rafting, dog sledding, horse riding, and cycling adventures through the WellChild Active Events programme.
Useful resources
Charities
Giving Nation
Giving Nation is a youth initiative which empowers young people to give their
time, money and voice to charity. The G-Nation website includes information on
G-Week and G-Nation awards, as well as materials for citizenship.
British Heart Foundation (BHF)
BHF has just launched a new Well Fit! Campaign for secondary schools. A new
weapon in the fight against childhood obesity, the campaign aims to tackle
inactivity amongst 11 and 12-year-olds. A new lifestyle magazine and CD-ROM
packed with games, competitions and celebrity interviews is being sent to every
secondary school starter in the UK, and a support pack for teachers is also
available.
Macmillan Cancer Relief
The charity offers fundraising advice and activities as well as free
PSHE/citizenship resources and activities to get children talking about cancer
on its Class Action site.
The Meningitis Trust
The Meningitis Trust has a student Rag week campaign pack and is producing a
new primary school fundraising pack this autumn.
Sight Savers International
There are ideas for assemblies, interactive classroom activities, and
resources for the geography, citizenship and PSHE curriculum, as well as an
events diary and fundraising ideas.
Ramblers Association
Information on Right to Roam and walking.
St John Ambulance
Information about the Young Lifesaver Teachers Guide.
Guide Dogs for the Blind
Charity stamp collecting, recycling and puppy sponsoring. There are also
running, cycling and dragon boat racing events listed.
Anthony Nolan Trust
The Anthony Nolan Trust is currently updating its website. Teachers can contact
the trust on 020 7284 8233.
Whizz-Kidz
Whizz-Kidz has a variety of activities for schools, including a Big Blue and
Yellow Day.
Day for Change
Wear something different in aid of malnourished children in Ethiopia and
Tajikistan for UNICEF's Day for Change.
Visit our section on Charities for further links.
Healthy schools
Wired for Health
A range of teachers' resources for the national curriculum and on the
National Healthy School Standard.
Healthy Living Blueprint
The Blueprint provides support for head teachers, governors and teachers to
help children and young people lead healthy lifestyles.
PE and school sport
Find out all you need to know about PE, fitness and school sports.
Health Education Trust
The Health Education Trust has advice on school nutrition.
Sporting Champions
This initiative uses visits from sports personalities to promote young
people's involvement in sport.
This article was commissioned by TeacherNet's
editorial team, independently of DCSF policy teams.
Last updated: 31 July 2007
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