On the first day of this year’s Activity Week, Rydal Penrhos pupils and staff participated in a whole-school walkathon in aid of Sense, the school’s charity partner. 

Charitable work is a central part of life at Rydal Penrhos. The school is itself a registered charity, supporting the learning and development of children and young people from across the North Wales region, but also participates in extensive fundraising work for other charities throughout the academic year.

From local good causes such as Ty Gobaith to national and international charities including Children in Need, and the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, Rydal Penrhos has raised thousands of pounds in the last year alone for worthy good causes. In 2022, the school introduced a major new fundraising event in the form of a pier-to-pier walkathon for Blind Veterans UK.

Following the success of this inaugural event, which raised more than its £2000 target, the Walkathon returned this summer, this time in support of Rydal Penrhos’ charity partner, Sense. Driven by the belief that everyone should be able to take part in life, no matter their disability, Sense – a charity supporting those who are deafblind or have complex disabilities – has 65 years of expertise in providing personalised support for people of all ages and has 20 centres and colleges in communities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Hundreds of pupils and staff from all areas of Rydal Penrhos lined up to take part in this year’s event. Sadly, the weather was not as amenable this year with wind and rain gripping the area in the morning. Undeterred, our Senior pupils set to make a go at completing the course for this year’s walk. Congratulations to all our Year 7 to 13 pupils and staff who made the effort in the unseasonable conditions.

By the time the Pre-School and Prep set about their walks later in the day, the skies had cleared, and the sun had started to make an appearance. Buoyed by the improvement in conditions, Prep pupils set out East along the Rhos-on-Sea promenade, with several classes taking the time to pose for some photos by the red ‘COLWYN’ installation, while Year 6 captured some group shots atop Porth Eirias – the new Rydal Penrhos sailing and watersports hub.

Not to be excluded from the fun, Pre-School pupils visited the Rhos-on-Sea promenade and saw their older peers making their way along the path of the Walkathon. The Pre-Schoolers certainly had great fun looking out at the incredible views across the Irish Sea, and peering down through the boardwalk planks to see the Colwyn Bay beach below. Thanks to their regular visits to the Coastal School, our Pre-Schoolers are far from unfamiliar with the local seaside, but that does not stop any visit from being a novel and exciting experience!

Congratulations to everyone who took part in this year’s Walkathon, and to all the parents, teachers and staff that made the event possible. With the school’s partnership with Sense still in its early stages, we can’t wait to host many more events in support of the charity over the next year!