Fundraising students pulled on their trainers for a charity run alongside real-life Forrest Gump, Rob Pope.
Rob hit headlines around the world in 2016 when he embarked on a 15,700-mile journey which saw him cross the United States four times to raise money for Peace Direct and The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Last month, the 40-year-old completed the punishing six-day Marathon Des Sables, a 156-mile race in the Sahara Desert known as the toughest footrace on the planet.
Rob, who runs wearing a ‘Run Robla Run’ t-shirt inspired by Tom Hanks’ character in Forrest Gump, was the guest speaker at last year’s Highfields Legacy Awards, and returned to the school to speak to students about the charities he has raised more than £20,000 for with his gruelling fundraising runs. He also gave the school a very generous gift of an adopted panda through WWF, which will be named by students as part of a competition in the coming weeks.
As part of his visit, students joined him on a one-mile fun run in parkland close to the school to raise around £80 for Rob’s chosen charities.
WWF (formerly the World Wildlife Fund) is an international non-governmental organisation founded in 1961 working to preserve wilderness and reduce the human impact on the environment.
Peace Direct is an international charity dedicated to stopping wars by supporting local people in conflict zones to build long term peace.
