UALS - Prostate Cancer Walk

Pupils put heart into raising thousands for returning teacher 

Pupils and staff at University Academy Long Sutton raised around £3,000 with a day’s sponsored walk to recognise a returning teacher.

History teacher Mr Charles Gooding recently came back to the school after completing his radiotherapy for prostate cancer. So to welcome him back last Thursday they put on a sponsored walk for the charity Prostate Cancer UK. Several pupils returned after leaving and joined pupils and staff walking 26 miles for a full day. Other school years joined in when they could through the day.
Mr Gooding has been at the school for 10-years after previously working in financial services.

“I’ve been over-whelmed really,” he said. “The level of support I’ve had from pupils and staff has been amazing.

“I can’t express enough how kind people have been.

“I think having conversations with the children about my experiences has been brilliant as it gets it out in the open and them talking about theirs and their family’s health too.”

All the pupils The Voice spoke to were full of praise for Mr Gooding as a teacher.

Year 11 Assistant Learning Coordinator Dominique Stainton, said: “The school have all really got behind Mr Gooding and it was a fantastic day.”

They also said they’d look at holding an annual fundraising event.