On 3 May 2025, a dedicated group of staff—led by Mr Henry Diamond, principal at The Holgate Academy, and Mrs Karen Goldson, headteacher at Leen Mills Primary School—embarked on a challenging 60-kilometre marathon hike in memory of Oliver Shilton, a former student of both schools who tragically lost his battle with cancer last year.
The walk followed a special route meaningful to Oliver, as it included visits to all his favourite sports teams’ homes, as well as the schools he attended. The route took participants past The Holgate Academy, Leen Mills Primary School, Notts County Football Club, Nottingham Rugby Club, and culminated at the iconic Welford Road—home of Oliver’s cherished Leicester Tigers Rugby Club. When the team arrived at Nottingham Rugby Club, they were greeted with a guard of honour from Oliver’s teammates at Paviors Rugby Club—a heartwarming and special moment.
A small team then battled on to complete the full 60-kilometres in an impressive time of 11 hours and 17 minutes. This was a fantastic achievement, and we are delighted to announce that they have raised over £7000—an incredible sum that will go to PASIC (Parents’ Association for Children with Cancer) in honour of Oliver.
PASIC offers vital care and resources to children, young people, and their families affected by cancer throughout the East Midlands. Their vision is simple: no family should face childhood cancer alone. During his own battle with cancer, PASIC provided essential support to Oliver and his family, and as a combined school community, we wanted to give back by helping others facing similar challenges.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who supported us with a kind donation. Your generosity has been overwhelming, and we are proud to say that we absolutely smashed our original target of £2000.
