Frankie and friends raising money for Pageant

On Saturday 22 March, Frankie, Rachel, Ellie, Caroline, Georgina, Ruth, Alice and Charlotte took part in the Richmond Spring Riverside Run. The course was 10km long and used the towpath alongside the River Thames between Richmond and Kingston - details on the Richmond Spring Riverside Run website. They set up a donation page on the Virgin Money Giving website with the aim of raising a total of £2000 from sponsorship, to buy items needed for creative lessons at Gambian schools and nurseries during their visit to The Gambia in April.

The team all trained hard, and donations were already coming in, so they were able to buy some goodies (hoops, jumping sacks, bean bags, eggs-and-spoons, hoppy racers, soft balls and team bands) for sports events at several Gambian schools.

Frankie, Rachel, Ellie and Caroline planned to go to The Gambia as part of the Pageant group visiting in April 2014. They would go to some schools they visited previously, and also, for the first time, a little nursery in Banjul - the Unity Nursery and Daycare Centre. The photos of the children below were taken during Pageant's February 2014 trip.

Update 24 March 2014

The Pageant Runners successfully completed the 10km race on 22 March. Pippa's report was posted on the Pageant News Blog, and is reproduced below:

"The Pageant Runners did themselves proud today and were worthy of the tremendous support they have received from family and friends. Sadly, Alice had injured herself in training, but the other seven members of the team arrived in good time, raring to go. Alice had nobly come along to watch and support, as had several other friends and family members. Mercifully the overnight rain had cleared away and it was bright, if rather chilly. The first challenge came even before the run started - the queue for the toilets!"

"With around 1,000 runners, the start was staggered and our team were in the third group of four."

"Some of the supporters went off to around the 8Km mark to cheer them on their way - and then catch them again as they neared the finish."

"At the time of writing this I am not sure of all the final times, but I believe that four of the team finished in under an hour - brilliant! You all did so well and thoroughly deserve your medals. (Charlotte is missing from the photo below, as she went home before it was taken, to look after an injury she picked up during the run - we all hope you are feeling OK now.)"

"Thank you all so much, team, for all the training and effort you have put into this, and thank you, too, to all your wonderful supporters. The Gambian schools and families that you will be able to help with the amazing amount you have raised will be, as they would say themselves, highly grateful."

"We are looking forward to our Gambian trip in April, when Frances, Caroline, Rachel and Ellie will be coming out to give sports, maths and art sessions and materials to several schools – I wish that all members of the team could be coming… next time, maybe. Don't forget to keep an eye on the blog between 7th and 18th April to see what is happening."

Thank you all for your support for the Pageant Runners. They exceeded their target of £2000, and donations have now closed. The money they raised was used to buy all sorts of interesting items for their classes in The Gambia when they visited in April 2014. Frances reported on their exploits on the Pageant News Blog, and we have put everything together on this page of collected blog posts.