Pupils take on endurance challenge for Mental Health Charity

11 Upper Sixth pupils from Sedbergh School will be completing a gruelling run this Sunday, collectively running the distance from Sedbergh to Birmingham, as they aim to raise money for mental health charity blOKes.

blOKes was founded in June 2020 and aims to support men to help encourage them to talk about their mental health. Through their #MaleTale campaign, blOKes have developed a safe and supportive environment that provides the opportunity for men to share experiences, stories, guidance, tips, and advice with likeminded individuals, as well as connecting men from across the world.

One of the pupils completing the charity run, Sam, has praised blOKes for their support throughout the build up to this weekend.
“After I first contacted blOKes with our fundraising idea, we expected to be waiting for a couple of days before we heard anything, but they got back to me straight away and they’ve been great.” Said Sam.

Lent term is as busy as ever at Sedbergh School, both inside and outside of the classroom. The boys, and the rest of our Upper Sixth pupils, are preparing to sit their mock examinations this week. Outside of the classroom, our Sixth Form pupils are getting themselves ready for the Wilson Run, a special day in the Sedbergh calendar. The famous 10 mile run, which pupils must qualify to take part in, has been ongoing for over 140 years at Sedbergh School.

Further to the fantastic support offered to the group by blOKes, Sam also talked about the change he has seen during his time at Sedbergh School and the positive impact he and others are finding through the power of talking.
Sam said, “Lockdown was tough for everybody. The feeling of being cut-off or being isolated affected us all, but as a group of friends we kept each other going. Whether that was a whole group call together, or just picking up the phone and calling one another.

Since I started here in Year 9, the attitude to men’s mental health has changed. No one was really talking about it back then, but now it is at the forefront of our discussions and more people are aware of it.”

The route, which starts in Ravenstonedale, will take the boys across the Howgill Fells and passed popular spots such as The Calf and Winder, before finishing at School. You can keep track of their progress and follow them on their journey on this link https://live.opentracking.co.uk/b2s2022/

If you would like to contribute a donation, you can do so by visiting their Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sedberghtobirmingham?utm_term=Bzdn9rWV3