On Monday 19 September, the entire school cohort embarked upon an epic 20 mile walk. The walk took pupils and staff along the Thames Path, following the river from Moulsford all the way back to Shiplake College. Whilst the majority of the pupils walked the distance, some chose to run it, whilst others took to the river and rowed the course, which was slightly longer by water! The aim was to raise money for four charities which were chosen by the staff and pupils; Gap Africa, Sue Ryder, NOMAD Henley and Paars.
The event is popular amongst staff as well as pupils; most of the staff members choose to walk with the pupils, whilst some take charge of marshalling and others man refreshment stops along the way. Over 450 pupils and staff took part in the walk, which takes them through the scenic surroundings of Oxfordshire countryside and locks. The physically demanding task is held biennially, and always raises an incredible amount of money for some very worthy causes. Gap Africa is a charity very much supported by the College; each year the charity runs a trip for the Shiplake College Expedition Society to visit Kenya. Pupils experience a completely different way of life, camping outside, volunteering in local schools and trekking across the country. Gap Africa was founded by Marcel and Sally Wagner, and exists to help raise money for schools in the Kikundu region of Kenya. Sue Ryder was supported; the charity offers compassionate care and comfort to people with end of life and long term needs, and their friends and families. Two other charities were also supported; NOMAD Henley is a youth and community project based in Henley, which supports children, young people and families who face challenging situations in their lives. Paars is another local charity, dedicated for parents who suffer abuse from their adolescent children.
Henry Blois-Brooke, Deputy Head of College, was the first pupil back to Shiplake. He ran the course in an incredible two hours and 35 minutes! Jack Leigh was a close second, coming in with a time of two hours and 48 minutes. Tom Nike was the third pupil in, arriving back at Shiplake in a time of three hours and five minutes. Assistant Head Co-Curricular Mr Alex Hunt, who organised the event with Head of Outdoor Education Mr Stephen Macpherson, commented: ‘the dedication and hard work of the pupils and staff was astounding, and they all deserve a massive pat on the back. Logistically, it’s a big task to organise 450 pupils to walk 20 miles, and the staff involvement was invaluable. The pupils behaved admirably on the trip and completed the trying task without complaint – although a few aching muscles the next day!’
So far, the Shiplake cohort have managed to raise over £8,000, which is a fantastic sum and will be truly life-changing. The link for donating will be closing soon, but in the meantime donations are still flooding in. Please click here to visit the JustGiving page.