Peter Thackrey's mammoth marathon fundraiser for Rowans Hospice
Bedales Senior Deputy Head (Pastoral) Peter Thackrey has raised an incredible £9,148 so far for Rowans Hospice after running this year’s London Marathon in support of the local charity.
Peter decided to take on the iconic marathon on 27 April in memory of his close friend and colleague Will Lithgow who was Assistant Director of Music at Bedales Senior. Alongside his training efforts, Peter was dedicated to raising funds and awareness for Rowans Hospice, in recognition of the charity’s invaluable support to Will and his family at the end of his life.
With generous donations from friends, family and members of the Bedales community over the past months, Peter’s JustGiving page exceeded the initial target of £2,000, raising over £9,000 (and counting) for the Hampshire-based charity which provides high-quality palliative and end of life care for those living with life-limiting illnesses.
Peter led an assembly at the Senior School on 7 May where he reflected on the marathon and the outpouring of support he received, sharing the lasting impact it’s had on him and the wider school community. Opening up about his own experience with grief and loss, Peter’s key message for students was about resilience and hard graft, as well as how completing his first marathon taught him to trust the process and that this can be applied to any learning or life goal. Following the assembly, Peter was joined by representatives from Rowans Hospice to present a large cheque in celebration of his fundraising efforts.
As part of his training, Peter also led a weekly running club open to students and staff, which will continue as an ongoing and established event Taking place on Wednesday mornings from Bedales, the dedicated group enjoy scenic runs in the Ashford Hangers before returning to school for breakfast. As well as providing an active start to the day, the early runs have become a space for conversation and connection between staff and students, where they can reflect and talk about their own experiences.
In an interview with Rowans Hospice, Peter said: “It’s taught me how to turn something really difficult into something incredibly positive. The response from students, parents, friends, and family has been amazing. I didn’t expect we’d raise anywhere near £9,000. I’m really proud of that.” When asked what Will would have thought of it all, Peter responded: “He would've said 'You’re mad! What on earth are you doing that for?’ But then he’d say thank you. He would’ve been overwhelmed by the response, and probably found it hilarious. Then he’d have dashed off to play some music. He was an amazing musician.”
Read more about Peter’s journey in a recent blog published on the Rowans Hospice website below.
If you’d like to donate, please visit Peter’s JustGiving page here.
