Bursary Runners Hope For Landmark Fundraising
7th February 2025
Five charitable runners from the Highfield and Brookham School community will be pounding the streets of London in April.
Highfield and Brookham owner Bill Mills, Head Suzannah Cryer and Head of Pre-prep Georgie Hunter will be joined by parents Sarah Bagshaw and Claire Kenwright as they tackle the London Landmarks Half-Marathon on 6th April.
The intrepid quintet will be running in aid of the Highfield School Centenary Bursaries Fund.
The 13-mile charity run around the streets of the nation’s capital – the only half-marathon to incorporate the City of London and the City of Westminster – will take the fleet-footed five past some of the city’s most famous monuments, such as Big Ben, Tower Bridge, The Shard and the London Eye.
But it will also take in many of London’s hidden heritage and cultural gems like Guy Fawkes’ house where the Gunpowder Plot conspirators met, the memorial to flamboyant poet Oscar Wilde, Pudding Lane, where the Great Fire of London started in 1666, and Billingsgate Roman bathhouse.
Mrs Hunter is no stranger to endurance running, having been one of four staff members who raised almost £4,000 for the school’s Highreach Holidays charity when completing the gruelling 62-mile South Coast Challenge from Eastbourne to Arundel in 2021.
Mrs Cryer will be joining Year 5 in next week’s inter-school cross-country championships as part of her London Landmarks preparations while Mr Mills is also an avid runner.
“The purpose of the bursary is to make a difference to a child’s life, not just academically but also physically, emotionally and socially,” said Mrs Cryer.
“Ours are awarded to children we believe will gain the most from attending, ensuring they reach their full potential.
“These are the children we believe will engage with all of the opportunities Highfield and Brookham has to offer – ensuring they build life-long skills and develop long-lasting positive experiences and relationships.”
And she added: “We’re all slightly nervous and excited at the same time about taking on the London Landmarks Half-Marathon, but hopefully we can help each other along on the run to raise lots of money for our life-changing bursaries fund.”
Highfield Centenary Bursaries Fund was set up 17 years ago with the aim of supporting children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend an independent school such as Highfield and Brookham. Typical candidates are children who are experiencing social or educational difficulties or children who have the ability to succeed academically if given the right support.
The five runners have set up fundraising pages. To donate, visit:
www.justgiving.com/page/octavia-bagshaw-1
www.justgiving.com/page/claire-kenwright-2
www.justgiving.com/page/william-mills-1
