Eltham College Deputy Head (Co-curricular and Partnerships) James Willatt describes the power of the Eric Liddell centenary legacy and the impact of the school’s work in partnership with local communities
Much has changed at Eltham College since its 1842 establishment as a boarding school for the sons of Protestant missionaries serving overseas. Then, there were14 boys on roll. Now, Eltham’s co-educational Junior and Senior schools and 70-acre site are home to hundreds of girls and boys, of all faiths and none, sitting at the centre of a new family of schools, including nearby Blackheath Prep.
One constant throughout, has been the school’s emphasis on living a life for the benefit of others – an ethos brilliantly personified by one of Eltham’s most famous former pupils, Eric Liddell, immortalised in the film Chariots of Fire. In 2023, to mark the upcoming centenary of his Paris gold medal, Lower Sixth volunteers ran from Paris to St Andrews – almost 700 miles – to honour his legacy while raising funds for charity. They knew they wanted to support the Eric Liddell Centre in Edinburgh, but researching other potential beneficiaries, they discovered Personal Best Foundation (PBF), a charity to help children and young people benefit from the transformative impact of athletics.
Last October, thanks to a donation of £8,250 from the total £24,000 raised by the Eric Liddell 100 run, PBF opened its first Community Athletics (‘Funetics’) Hub at Grove Park Youth Centre – a stone’s throw from the College – giving local children aged 7-11 access to a free weekly athletics session. In February this year, seven other Eltham students undertook an overnight, 12-hour run on the 200m indoor track at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport, raising a further £1,500 for PBF.
As our partnership with the charity has developed, so has our joint vision of ensuring there is an ongoing legacy from the Eric Liddell 100 fundraiser. The Sheffield run was a test event to see if we can create a repeatable, scalable charity running challenge that develops students’ skills and exposes them to exciting experiential learning opportunities while raising valuable funds for PBF. Signs are good, with other schools now interested in being involved.
As a small charity launched just two years ago, PBF describes the impact as ‘significant’. Not only will the work in our local community benefit young people in Mottingham for years to come, but the events have provided important exposure and engagement with other prospective community fundraising partners.
For Eltham College students, the benefits have been manifold. They have built lifelong memories and bonds, of course, but also gained real-life experience. The initial 700-mile run was managed entirely by the student group. Responsible for the budget, risk-management, logistics, marketing and events, they grew noticeably in maturity as they problem-solved to overcome each hurdle. They secured corporate sponsorship from four backers to fund the event, surviving boardroom pitches, learning how to manage rejection and developing the patience, resilience and dedication needed to complete their challenge.
In preparation for the Sheffield run, students were able to explore areas relevant to their university applications. Some, for example, completed research projects on sports nutrition and psychology, while another, applying for History, worked with PBF’s heritage officer to write for England Athletics’ online museum. To see the impact of their efforts – the change they are bringing to local children’s lives – has also been hugely important. Students helped run games at the launch of the PBF Lewisham Athletics Hub, and we’re now planning to train students as PBF Funetics leaders to support the delivery of these athletics sessions on an ongoing basis.
Ultimately, this is why I believe community partnerships are so important for schools and young people. Working collaboratively, we can deliver so much more for the students and the community – building trust, relationships and social capital. The children who benefit from the Funetics programme in Lewisham now use our facilities for holiday sports camps, co-ordinated by a new community partner, Sporting Way.
I could not have been more delighted to see those same local children volunteering alongside Eltham College students recently, as they prepared and packed 7000 meals from our kitchens to be distributed to those in need via charity and community organisations across London. Those we have helped are helping us to help others.
Eltham College eltham-college.org.uk
Further reading: Berkhamsted students deliver oracy workshops
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