Generous pupils from Beech Hall School handed over a cheque of over £3,500 to a worthy local cause, ‘Becca’s Wish to Walk’, having raised the money undertaking a 97-mile hike.

In Summer last year, enthusiastic female pupils, staff and family members from the Tytherington-based school took on the mammoth challenge to walk almost 100 miles as an all-girl relay, with sessions throughout the day and night. The female cohort participated in the task to complete the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk within 36 hours as part of the #thisgirlcan initiative, and to raise much-needed funds along the way.

During a special assembly the girls, along with Headmaster James Allen, handed over the cheque to Becca and her parents, being met with a roaring round of applause from pupils and staff.

Mr Allen commented:

“The girls at the school rose to the challenge and I am so proud of their efforts and what they have achieved.

“At Beech Hall School we encourage our pupils to develop their confidence as individuals whilst taking opportunities to help charity. Fundraising events are a great way to help our local community and we are looking forward to supporting Becca and her family further in the future.”

Becca was born at 28 weeks, with her twin sister, Lottie, by emergency caesarean section, weighing in at just 2lbs. Becca has spastic cerebral palsy which affects all her limbs, and in 2016, she was accepted for Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) surgery at the St Louis Children's Hospital, Missouri. This has meant that Becca's spasticity has been permanently reduced, her sitting and standing postures have improved, and her transitions between postures are easier and faster. However, her journey is far from over, and she is now undergoing intensive physiotherapy, which is currently unavailable on the NHS, and therefore needs to be funded. This will give her the independence she craves and hopefully enable her to fulfill her ambition to attend a mainstream school full-time with her sister, Lottie, as currently she is only able to attend three days a week, and a special school for two days.

Beech Hall School is a non-selective independent school for children aged from six months to 16 years old. It is situated in a stunning 16-acre site with two listed buildings, playing fields and a swimming pool.

Part of the Riverston Group, Beech Hall is committed to providing a child-centred education which focuses on every individual child’s strength and gives each one the opportunity to achieve a wide variety of academic, sporting and extra-curricular goals.

Bespoke, quality teaching is at the heart of Beech Hall’s core values and the recent renovation has made the personalised learning approach all the more achievable.

To find out more about Beech Hall visit www.beechhallschool.org