Dewsbury school walks 22,000km to raise cash for mental health charity

Pictured from the left at Boothroyd Primary Academy in Dewsbury are Mubashir Yaqoob, nine, head teacher Kirsty Stubbs, Zara Yasim, eight, assistant head Helen Bartle, Irfan Barucha, eight, teacher Phoebe Ayling and Anam Hussain, eight

A Dewsbury school has helped to raise nearly £2,000 for a mental health charity by walking laps of the playground.

Pupils at Boothroyd Primary Academy covered an impressive 22,000km as part of the One Trust One Challenge in aid of Young Minds.

The Focus Trust, which comprises of 15 primary schools in West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, including Boothroyd Primary Academy, raised £1,893.23 after children, families, staff and governors walked, ran, cycled, skipped, skated and swam a total of 77,836km.

The challenge raised money for the mental health charity which supports children, young people and their parents.

It was the second year that Focus Trust has run the challenge as part of its efforts to promote physical and mental well-being within its schools and their wider communities.

Michelle Kerrigan, of Young Minds, said: “We are extremely grateful for Focus Trust’s generous donation to our charity taking on such a mammoth challenge.

"These vital funds will support us to continue our work fighting for the mental health of children and young people across the UK as we emerge from the pandemic, and help to ensure that no young person feels alone with their mental health.”

Helen Rowland, chief executive at Focus Trust, said: “We are so proud of every single child, colleague, family member and friends who took part.

“After the emotional, mental and physical challenges we have all felt during the pandemic, we felt it was important to support a charity that would directly help young people and families with their mental health.”