Monday saw the second Edinburgh outing of the gold open-topped bus in as many weeks as it visited Broughton Primary School, writes Nicola Clark-Tonberg (Chair, Parent Staff Association).
Lothian Buses were helping celebrate the success of 64 children who had competed in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival junior races at the weekend to raise money for their school.
‘Some children couldn’t quite believe it’, said Catriona Scott, one of the event organisers, ‘especially since a lot of them had seen their Hibs heroes in it the weekend before, something that they’ll never forget.
‘We’re very grateful to Lothian Buses for lending us the gold bus, complete with a Well Done banner for the Broughton runners. It was a lovely surprise for them all and a great way to honour their dedication and achievements.’
Inspired by P5 children and their teachers running The Daily Mile, and parents and children who ran in the 2015 Hairy Haggis Relays, the PSA had earlier funded 19 children’s entrance fees to encourage first-time runners, and to raise £2,500 for much needed playground improvements.
Children from every year group were represented, and took part in regular training sessions together in the weeks leading up to the event.
To reward their extraordinary achievement and community spirit, Dr Andrew Murray (ultra marathon runner and Scottish Government physical-activity champion) gave a special assembly at school.
He talked about his running career, as well as encouraging the children to keep on running and praising their teamwork. Each child also received a new ‘Wider Achievement Award’ from Head Teacher Gillian O’Rourke and 20 house points.
High praise
Mrs O’Rourke said of the event: ‘Saturday was a wonderful day – a real achievement for all the Broughton children and families who took part. It has been a fantastic community event that was made even more special by Dr Murray and the gold bus visiting the school on Monday morning’.
Parent organiser Sandra Bagnall said: ‘Yesterday was the perfect end to a wonderful weekend of running and celebration for the Broughton Primary School community.
‘Dr Murray’s inspirational talk at the school assembly reinforced what the children have learned during their training sessions and participation in EMF – that exercise is fun, makes you feel great, and helps boost your self-confidence and self-esteem, not just in physical activity but all aspects of life’.
To date, the BPS Runners Virgin MoneyGiving page has raised a whopping £3,610 including Gift Aid, and the children are looking forward to new picnic benches and loose-parts play equipment after the Summer holidays.
You can support their fundraising by making an online donation here.
[Photos: courtesy of Ivon Bartholomew.]