‘Team Solihull’, a 25 strong group of Solihull School pupils, parents, and staff, past and present, have undertaken the 50KM Easter Ultra Challenge and raised an astonishing £58,000 to provide clean water wells for Sri Lanka’s poorest people with the support of two charities, Assist RR UK and IMHO USA.

The team, which was led by Mark Penney, Head of the rep School, signed up to the Action Ultra Challenge event which took place on Saturday 1 April and walked 50KM in one day, starting the very muddy trek from Windsor Racecourse at 8.30am and finishing 12 hours later.

Mr Penney said: “This is our second ‘Team Solihull’ Ultra Challenge. Whilst the event was physically challenging, the camaraderie and positivity from ‘Team Solihull’ was outstanding! Three of our ‘Windsor Walkers’ completed the 25KM challenge, Kana Thuryrajah (Assist RR’s representation in Malaysia) completed another 25KM in Kuala Lumpur and 21 picked up their medal for the 50KM challenge. That’s a total of 1,150KM walked by Team Solihull, in one long day, to raise funds for those in great need across the North, East and Upcountry.”

Mr Penney, added: “When combining our UK and US based fundraising platforms, and the very generous pledge matching of IMHO USA of up to $20,000 US, we’ve raised over £58,000 so far and funds continue to come in. Our sincere and grateful thanks to all who contributed. Yet again the generosity of our school community and of the supporters of both charities has been extraordinary, it’s been an unforgettable experience for all involved.

“Many of Sri Lanka’s poorest people do not have access to clean, uncontaminated water supplies. The funds raised will allow us to build clean water wells, provide seed packages and training to generate sustainable food supplies, improve all round health and sanitation, and to keep children in school for longer. The positive outcomes will be life-changing for many.”

The Penney family and the Solihull School community have supported both charities over a number of years, raising funds for educational, medical and livelihood projects across the poorest parts of Sri Lanka.

Solihull School’s commitment to doing good in the world is long-standing and the members of ‘Team Solihull’ are looking forward to planning their next charity challenge.

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