In the face of adversity, a group of Sixth Formers have come together to truly show a friend that he is not alone in his battle against cancer. Their actions speak volumes about the kind of young men they are – selfless, compassionate, and unwavering in their support for one of their own.
The boys explain further, “Earlier this year our friend Will received some heartbreaking news, he was unfortunately diagnosed with testicular cancer. This was awful news for him and his family as everyone thinks of him as the nicest, most caring boy and like everyone who is diagnosed, him and his family don’t deserve to go through this. He is so strong and is always keeping a smile on his face and checking up on others, even if he is the one who is upset and struggling. To raise awareness and to support Will as much as we could, we shaved our heads too (with the help of a local barber) and have decided to run the Bournemouth Half Marathon to raise funds for Orchid.”
Orchid is the UK’s leading charity for those affected by male cancer. Orchid was founded in 1996 by testicular cancer patient Colin Osborne and Professor Tim Oliver, the oncologist who saved his life. They support men with male cancer, educate communities and work with research professionals.
Impressively, and in a short time, our Bournemouth Runners, have raised a staggering £11,400 (at time of writing) of their £12,500 target for Orchid via GoFundMe and are posting their progress on Instagram and Tik Tok for everyone, including Will to follow. The marathon takes place in October, which will fit around schoolwork, and allow time to train throughout the Summer months. Their sincere hope is to do it for, and with Will.
As the boys prepare for the marathon ahead and organising further fundraising activities, we stand proudly beside them (we know of one or two staff members who have also signed up), knowing that with friends like these, Will won’t have to face his challenge alone.
Headmaster, Matt Williams, said, “I am incredibly proud of how the boys have responded and how they have all rallied around their friend at this difficult time. We talk a lot about community here at Warminster School, and this is a wonderful example of how it manifests itself amongst the pupil body and in terms of all those who have supported their efforts.”
Helen, Will’s mother added, “We continue to be blown away by the support Will has received from his school friends and locally”.
Warminster School is proud of the Bournemouth Runners, who embody the true spirit of our Verlucian values in everything they do. Their solidarity and determination is truly inspirational, reminding us all of the power of friendship and the importance of standing by those we care about in times of need.
Our thoughts are with Will and his family at this time.
