Fundraising Headteacher Top of the Class for Hospice
May 25, 2010
A West Midlands head teacher is proving to be top of the class when it comes to supporting Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice.
Mark Lanyon, head of St James CofE Primary School in Handsworth, is on course to raise £5,000 for the Hospice by taking part in the Skyline London to Paris Charity Bike Ride next month in memory of a friend and former colleague.
The 46–year-old’s fundraising success is down in part to a massive wave of interest he’s generated among the 400 pupils at the school in Sandwell Road.
Mr Lanyon has inspired the children by incorporating aspects of his fundraising activities into lessons, with youngsters improving their maths, geography and foreign language skills by calculating distances, studying routes and learning French phrases.
The children have also been learning about the healthy eating requirements Sir needs to take into account if his body is to stand up to the gruelling challenge.
Crucially for Birmingham St Mary’s, the innovative move has prompted pupils to stage a sponsored ride to Paris of their own using exercise bikes in the school. Cyclists are being charged £1 for two minutes on a bike.
“The children have really got behind this fundraising drive in an incredible way; it really is wonderful to see them taking such an interest in helping a good cause.
“It’s also great to see them getting really interested in maths and using it in real life; it’s a project that’s proving to be beneficial in so many ways,” he said.
Mr Lanyon became involved in raising money for Birmingham St Mary’s after his close friend and former boss Chris Leach was cared for by the Hospice when he had terminal cancer. Chris was enormously appreciative of the care and support that he received.
Mr Lanyon’s interest in the London to Paris bike ride grew after Mr Leach, formerly head of Matthew Boulton Community Primary in Handsworth, had to pull out of the event in July 2009 when his illness meant he was too poorly to take part.
Mr Leach’s son, nephew, son-in-law and friend all entered and completed the challenge on his behalf.
After Mr Leach passed away in January this year, Mr Lanyon was asked to give a eulogy for his friend. While writing the eulogy he decided that he would attempt the challenge, which begins on June 5, in his friend’s memory.
Money has also been coming in for Mr Lanyon’s cycling challenge through various events organised by friends and family.
His musician son Alex along with friends The Musgraves, Dan Gallagher, Dan Hartland and Dale Perry played an acoustic gig at the Thimble Mill pub in Smethwick, raising £1,000.
Mr Lanyon said: “That night was fantastically well supported. By the end of the night we had raised £800 and then a friend came up to me and said, “Let’s make it £1,000” and gave another £200. It was brilliant and means my dream target of £5,000 is looking doable.”
With other head teachers in Handsworth joining in with fundraising events in memory of their colleague, Mr Lanyon hopes to reach his target by mid-June.
Mr Leach’s wife Cathy said: “Chris was only 55 years old but the Hospice made it easy for him to accept dying, and when he did he was allowed to have his family and close friends around him and the Hospice’s staff looked after us all.
“The Hospice also supported me by giving me carer training so that I could look after Chris at home for as long as possible. They continue to support me with bereavement counselling and in their Bereavement Self Help Group.”
She added: “All of this is free and they only get about 48 percent of their funding from the NHS - the importance of fundraising for the Hospice is vital. I was delighted when Mark Lanyon told me he was going to do the London to Paris cycle ride in Chris's memory and for Birmingham St Mary’s.”
Caroline Taylor, Head of Fundraising at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, thanked Mr Lanyon for his fantastic fundraising effort.
“Without inspirational people like Mr Lanyon supporting us, the Hospice would struggle to exist, so we’re extremely grateful to him and his supporters for their help. It’s also particularly heartening to see the school children getting involved with a good cause. They’re doing a fantastic job,” she said.
Since its launch in 1979, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice has cared for tens of thousands of people with life-limiting illnesses.
And with more than 50 percent of the Hospice’s budget reliant on public goodwill, community fundraising is crucial to ensuring its highly specialised services can continue to be offered to the people of Birmingham and Sandwell.
In addition to a 25-bed Inpatient unit, Birmingham St Mary’s boasts a 20-place Day Hospice and provides community care to people who wish to stay in their own homes. The Hospice, whose running costs stand at £6.3 million a year, also supports relatives with bereavement preparation, physiotherapy tuition and counselling in addition to many other services.
Its nurses, often referred to by patients and relatives as ‘angels’, are renowned for going that extra mile to ensure people with terminal illnesses enjoy the best possible quality of life.
To sponsor Mr Lanyon go to: www.justgiving.com/mark-lanyon, or if you are interested in cycling to Paris on behalf of Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, please contact Charlotte Sudbury on: 0121 4721191.
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