On Sunday 13th March 2022, over 60 students from years 12 and 13 at St Bede’s School, Redhill, met on Brighton Pier with one mission: to raise as much money as possible for the school's RAG (raising and giving) week by walking to Redhill for lessons the next morning. The 33-mile trek across Sussex and Surrey would take around 16 hours, meaning that the students would have to walk through the night to make it back in time.

 

St Bede’s holds RAG week every year to raise money for national and international charities. This year, the students chose to donate to Cancer Research, Alzheimer’s Society and The Bakiga Community Project, who build and repair water tanks in Uganda. By hosting a variety of events across the school, everyone was able to get involved with raising money in some way. This is what Joanne Corry, Head of Year 12, said was special about RAG week as ‘it was so nice to see the sense of community in the sixth form through the Brighton walk, and in the rest of the school during our other events, such as the RAG fayre.’ 

 

The sense of community was definitely evident throughout the Brighton Walk. With heaps of team-spirit, midnight snacks and spare plasters, the walkers were determined to make it back together before school started - however many blisters they might get!

 

It was not an easy task. The walk started off through fields and footpaths coming out of Brighton and across the South Downs. Yet later, after it had got much colder and darker, the walkers were faced with road after road on their long trek - the checkpoint cars bringing extra snacks being a great relief along the way. However once the skies became lighter and the roads more recognisable, it was much easier to find the motivation to make it back before the school bell. 

 

Despite the huge challenge they had set themselves, the walkers arrived in Redhill with more than enough time (and a fair few blisters) before their first lessons and gained plenty of sponsorship along the way. As one of the event organisers Shaan (16) said, ‘It was definitely a trial but it felt like such a big achievement once we had finished!’ 

 

RAG week at St Bede’s was hugely successful this year, raising over £15,000 for the chosen charities. It will certainly be a hard act to follow next year!