Sir Kevin Sinfield inspires Bridgewater pupils during final 7 in 7 challenge

Pupils at Bridgewater School in Worsley welcomed Sir Kevin Sinfield and his fellow runners on Friday 2^nd October as the school became a checkpoint on Day 6 of his seventh and final 7 in 7 fundraising challenge.

Children and staff gathered to cheer on Sir Kevin and the team during their route from Salford to St Helens, in what proved to be an unforgettable morning for the school community.

Sir Kevin was joined by an impressive team of runners, including Olympic champions Jason and Laura Kenny, alongside members of the MND community whose personal experiences gave particular meaning to the challenge, including former primary school teacher Rob Hasler and his family.

The visit formed part of a much wider programme at Bridgewater inspired by the extraordinary friendship between Sir Kevin and his former Leeds Rhinos teammate Rob Burrow CBE, and the fundraising movement that friendship has inspired in support of people living with motor neurone disease.

In the weeks leading up to the checkpoint, pupils from across the school – aged three to 18 – had been exploring seven qualities which they felt reflected the story behind the challenge: courage, friendship, teamwork, resilience, integrity, inspiration and positivity.

Those qualities were brought to life throughout the curriculum.

Pupils took part in their own physical challenges, including running 700 metres each day for seven days, while Art students created colourful work inspired by the seven values and designed running shoes representing the qualities that help people to keep moving forward.

In English, pupils explored courage, friendship and inspiration through creative writing and poetry, while Religious Studies prompted a particularly thoughtful comparison between Sir Kevin's actions and the story of the Good Samaritan.

Bridgewater's youngest children were introduced to Sir Kevin and Rob's story through a special story time, helping them to explore friendship, kindness and the importance of supporting others.

Mrs Nairn, Headteacher at Bridgewater School, said:

“‘Inspiration’ is one of our school values and something we talk about regularly with our pupils, but today they were able to see and experience it in a very different way. To witness Sir Kevin and the people running alongside him – each with their own reasons for being part of this extraordinary challenge – was incredibly powerful.

“We feel enormously privileged to have played just a very small part in their journey. The morning was not about Bridgewater, it was about standing together in support of Sir Kevin, his team and the MND community, and giving our children the opportunity to witness what friendship, courage and determination can achieve.”

The school also launched its own Bridgewater 7 in 7 Challenge to raise funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, with pupils, families and staff supporting the campaign.

For the children lining the route on Friday morning, however, the lasting impact extended beyond fundraising. Having spent the preceding weeks learning about the friendship that began Sir Kevin's remarkable fundraising journey, they were able to see first-hand the people, determination and sense of community behind it.

Bridgewater School said the experience had given real meaning to the seven qualities pupils had been exploring – and, in particular, to the idea of going the extra mile for others.