Pupils Inspired by London Marathon Achievement

On Sunday 2 October staff from Danes Hill School took on the London Marathon in aid of The Princess Alice Hospice and Muscular Dystrophy UK. In total they raised £7,300 for their chosen charities, with donations still being made.

On the first Sunday of October, Nina Waters, Director of HR and Bella Hodgson, Year 4 Teacher at Danes Hill School in Oxshott, Surrey took on the 26.2 mile London Marathon course. They both completed a grueling training plan and in the ‘run’ up to the event spent most of their free time running and mentally preparing for the race day.

Ms Waters said, ‘The memory of the unfaltering care The Princess Alice Hospice provided for my mum
got me through the hours of training. The thought of being able to help others access this unbelievable
care was the motivation I needed.’

Both Ms Waters and Miss Hodgson raised money for charities close to their heart and collectively raised
well over £7000. The London Marathon is the largest annual fundraising event in the world. It has
helped to raise over £1 billion since its founding, including £66.4 million at the 2019 London Marathon,
the highest amount for a single-day fundraising event. More than 40,000 people run together in
celebration of positivity, diversity, and inclusion. The event is in its 42nd year Princess Alice Hospice in Esher, provides a comprehensive range of services that respond to the individual needs of patients and their families, so that they can live life to the full, create memories, share special moments and when the time comes, support them through, before and after the death of a loved one.

Miss Hodgson said, ‘It was an unforgettable and challenging experience. I wanted to run for Muscular
Dystrophy as it is a charity that means an awful lot to me. The money raised will help so many families.’
Founded in 1959, Muscular Dystrophy UK have been leading the fight against muscle-wasting conditions since then. They bring together more than 60 rare and very rare progressive muscle weakening and wasting conditions, affecting around 110,000 children and adults in the UK.

Mrs Maxine Shaw, Head at Danes Hill School commented, ‘An utterly remarkable achievement, I am incredibly proud of my colleagues who took on such a monumental task. As a school we invest in the very best staff who can engage, encourage and inspire children to achieve remarkable things in life, Nina and Bella are true examples of this.’

See Danes Hill’s online listing here.