Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Lands End to John O’Groats – Alumni raise money for COVID-19
It’s lunch time on the 15th of April and having cut the lawn again and over a brew, I was thinking back to what has happened over the last 10 days.
Like us all, I was watching and listening to the frightening global spread of the Corona virus. Thinking of the safety of my family and friends and the front-line workers of the NHS. I also reflected on how I, at first hand, benefitted from the expertise and care of all who work for the service. My last 10 years have been punctuated with multiple and complex right hip replacements alongside dislocations, infections and sepsis. Therefore, I am confined to barracks as I take immune suppressant medication putting me on the ‘high risk list’.
When I had a joint that worked, I was lucky enough to train as a P.E. teacher at the Carnegie School of Physical Education on the Beckett Park campus in the 1970’s. What a great three years, forming lasting friendships with P.E. students and other teacher trainers at CLCC. That era fostered what we call the ‘Carnegie Family’ and we still meet for reunions quite regularly.
So, a few days ago, I had a ‘light-bulb’ moment. Why not gather the Carnegie Family together to raise much needed funds for the NHS Covid-19 appeal?
I had thought about an exercise challenge to attract donations to the cause and having talked to close friends the LEJOGCarnegie 2020 challenge evolved.
What is that you may ask?
Land’s End to John O’Groats, finally finishing with a lap of the Acre at Beckett Park. To cover the distance family members would pledge to walk, run, cycle, row (or travel by other means) and record their mileage between April 14th to June 7th. Each pledge to be added up to a grand collective total. All would seek sponsorship and donate to the cause.
It soon became clear that we would need to extend the route to go back to Land’s End to complete one lap. 1,393 miles.
Today is April 15th and we are up and running.
- Pledges in and calculated – 1 lap not enough – we have enough for 6 laps – 8,416.7 miles!
- Fund raising page up and running. First morning and £400 already posted.
- Members of the family are out (social distancing, of course) or in my case on my static bike in isolation completing their daily stint of exercise.
I am not sure where this is going but a big thanks to all who have got involved and a special thanks to a small number who have helped me with this idea, you know who you are,
More to tell in the next few weeks.
Pete Platt
Pete is an alumni of the old Carnegie School of Physical Education (which eventually became today's Carnegie School of Sport) in the 1970s.
