Kind-hearted Normanton school girls raise over £3,000 for MND charity for Pontefract's former Leeds Rhinos rugby league star Rob Burrow

Year five students, Lucy Scott, Summer Shaw and Millie Parkinson were inspired by Kevin Sinfield, Rob’s former Leeds Rhinos team-mate, and his efforts to raise money and awareness for motor neuron disease on behalf of the ex-rugby league player who was diagnosed with the condition in 2019.

They decided to organise a sponsored runathon for the whole school, planning the full event themselves with minimal help from their teachers.

The event happened over two days and consisted of children aged 7-11 running in 20 minute slots on the first day and the generous girls running 101 laps around the playground, a distance of 10k, on the second.

Summer said: “In early November we were inspired by Kevin Sinfield and his work to raise money and awareness on MND for Rob Burrow. So, we decided to organise a runathon and make it all seven related. Our goal was to run 77 laps and to raise £777.

"On day one, all of the classes were involved. We got each class to run 10 laps or 1k around the school yard, and the main team – which is 13 of us – ran most of the laps with them.

"The next day, we ran around 100 laps each. It makes us feel absolutely amazing to have raised over £3000.”

And Millie said: “It made me feel a bit emotional at the end of the runathon, I ended up crying because we had managed to complete it.”

The fundraiser formed part of the girl’s efforts to achieve their gold behavioural passport at the end of the year, which gives recognition to students with excellent behaviour.

Assistant headteacher, Megan Black, said: “At Normanton Junior Academy, we have these things called passports, and to gain a gold passport at the end of each year, you must raise money for charity or do something charitable.

"We usually expect children to go litter picking or give some of their toys up to a charity shop but the girls went absolutely above and beyond in their charitable endeavour.

“They came to meet me with a big file on the computer with a PowerPoint, forms, and all sorts of Word documents on how the event was going to run, it really took some independence and initiative. We are so proud and impressed by them.

"When they showed me all of their hard work, we had to get behind them. We changed the school timetable for two whole days to accommodate their fundraiser.

The girls had hoped to raise £777 – with the number 7s being an honour to the number 7 shirt that Rob wore during his time at Leeds Rhinos – but they managed to raise a whopping £3295.

The girls were honoured in a special assembly this week by their teachers to recognise all the hard work they put into organising the event.

The MND Association funds research, improves care and provides support for people with MND, their families and carers.