makes them feel comfortable: girls might wear leggings and a top; boys often wear a football kit. We still collect sponsorship the
old-fashioned way using paper forms and cash but we are looking at setting up a JustGiving account. The run is our biggest fundraiser! It takes very little planning, especially now we’ve been doing it for so long. Our sponsorship increases year-on- year, which is impressive given the current climate. This year we raised more than £3,100 and our total outgoings were only around £120. As a parent, I know how hard it can be asking friends and family for sponsorship, so when the bog-eyed jog was such a success in its first year, we agreed to only ever hold one sponsored event a year. The children are keen to do a colour run, but I suspect it would have much higher outgoings and make less profit for the school. Our goal is to raise as much as possible for the benefit of the children and the bog-eyed jog does that perfectly. Kate Witkiss, chair, Friends of St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School, Chorley, Lancashire (218 pupils)
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‘Our 10k race attracts everyone from first-time runners to world champions!’
L
orton is a small village in the Lake District with a tiny school.
But even though the Friends of Lorton School has just six committee members, we’ve set up a successful 10k event with a vast amount of support from the community. The Lorton 10k is our most
profitable fundraiser and has become a notable event in the Cumbrian running calendar. Over the past nine years, we have raised more than £12,000. Around 30 different clubs were
represented at last year’s 10k but you don’t need to be a club member to enter. The main restriction is an age limit: runners must be 16 and over. The idea came from former parent
Andy Rodgers. He had taken up running just before his family moved to Cumbria. While living in Essex, Andy had noticed that a few schools were running 10k events and he was already involved in fundraising for our school when he realised we had a wonderful 10k route on our doorstep. Andy knew a lady called Sam
Ayres, a runner who had already set up a 5k event for BodyFit Cumbria. Her experience was instrumental in setting up our 10k. Together, they approached UK Athletics (UKA), who sent a risk assessment and
information pack. UKA also sent a representative who biked the course three times, measuring the route. We’ve run the race most years
since 2012. We have a real mix of entries, from first-time runners to world champions! Most of the money raised comes
from the entry fee and the main prizes are sponsored by Lorton Village Shop. In the first couple of years, we made £500 but as the event has grown, so have the profits. Our most profitable year was in 2019, when we made around £2,000. In 2022 we made more than £1,600. The money is split between the
Friends of Lorton School and Lorton School After School Club. The Friends supports activities such as excursions, gardening and cooking classes, and forest school sessions. Over the years, we’ve helped fund a new playground and IT equipment. The After School Club uses their share to help cover running costs. Watching world champions run
alongside their parents and neighbours helps the children appreciate the benefits of running – an ideal way to promote good mental wellbeing through fitness and sport. Caroline Searson, parent governor and co-chair, Friends of Lorton School (50 pupils)
pta.co.uk SUMMER 2023 43
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