March 26, 2024
Staff and learners unite to complete gruelling Comic Relief challenge
Sport Relief has always been an important date in the calendar for Martin High School and this year they attempted their most ambitious initiative yet; they planned to play basketball for one whole day. Yes, that’s right, staff and learners were tasked with continuously keeping a basketball moving for 24 long and gruelling hours.Participants congregated on court at precisely 1:20pm on Thursday 21st March when the challenge officially commenced.
Split into two teams – Red and Blue – around 270 learners from all year groups led the initial charge with energy and enthusiasm, before designated staff teams took on the reins in three-hour stints spread out across the evening.
Encompassing the community spirit at Martin High, a combination of Teachers, LSAs, Technicians, Student Managers, Heads of Year, Exam Officers, Cover Supervisors, Senior Leaders and Premises Officers all got involved; even former staff members were lured from their warm beds to help navigate the graveyard shift.
From the comical sight of Mr Fitzjohn skidding down the court in his slippery shoes, to the infectious energy of Mr Charlesworth and Mr Hickling – who rallied everybody for the 3am shift – to Executive Principal Mrs Sanchez netting a few memorable points, everybody played their part.
The school were also visited by Leicester Dynamite Basketball Club – a local league side made up of an ex Martin High learner, ex parent and an ex professional. The superstars certainly put our weary staff and learners through their paces with expert skill and precision.
As the sun rose on Friday morning, the finish line came into sharp focus. Mr Seaward and Mrs Harris enjoyed publicising the event live on BBC Radio Leicester. The duo spoke about the challenge on Ady Dayman’s Breakfast Show and invited the local community to donate to this worthwhile cause. You can re-listen to their interview here (skip to 2 hours 50 minutes).
As the klaxon sounded to indicate the end of the challenge, the final scoreboard read Blue Team 1067 – 1072 Red Team. More importantly, though, the total amount raised stood at well over £1600, smashing the initial £1000 target.
“Thank you to the staff, learners and community for coming together and showing a real team spirit,” said Mrs Coates, Subject Lead for PE.
“Martin High always rise to challenges and it's wonderful to see the positive characters that it brings out in everyone.”
A massive thank-you to all those who took part and those who were able to donate.
