A group of pupils from the Royal Hospital School recently covered a collective total of 10,500 miles, the approximate mileage from Holbrook, Suffolk to Sydney, Australia, to raise funds for the Suffolk Community Foundation and the local charities it supports.
The distance marked the journey made by the school’s most eminent alumnus, Admiral Arthur Phillip, who founded the British penal colony at Port Jackson in 1788 that later became the city of Sydney.
Some pupils chose to run, some to cycle, others swam while many walked their way to the total. With every pupil in the school taking part, each needed to average around 14 miles.
Clive Rennison, assistant head (co-curricular) and coordinator of the school’s community action, said: “Groups of pupils and houses teamed up to organise massed activities so everybody had the opportunity to contribute to the total. The pupils in Year 13 set some endurance tests; swimming the English Channel in relays in the pool, running marathons and scaling the National Three Peaks on the school’s climbing wall.
“This challenge demonstrated the excellent collaboration we often see in our community and many found it a useful way of de-stressing and getting out of their rooms for a short break between revision sessions”.
The School’s efforts resulted in 10,685 miles covered in just two weeks and £1,465 has been raised so far, which will be added the Royal Hospital School’s Suffolk Community Foundation Fund which now stands at over £14,000.