Hi, I'm Nick and I'm a teacher at The Elms Academy in Clapham

On the 26th of April, I am running the London Marathon to try and raise £2000 to go towards taking a group of 12 of our students on a life-changing 5 day residential trip in 2026 run by the amazing charity Jamie's Farm.

Having taken a group of students here last year, I saw first hand the quality of the programme, the staff who work there and the life-changing experiences that this gave our students. Something that I know they will take with them well after leaving school.

We are aiming to take a group of students, many of whom are disadvantaged, have overcome significant trauma in their lives, challenging home lives or have SEN/ Mental Health needs that are holding them back from reaching their full potential in education.

The therapeutic programme takes our students completely out of their comfort zone where they live and do meaningful work on a real working farm in the coutryside near Bath. Students hand in their phones when they arrive so they benefit from a week completely from technology and live on site at the farm.

They are then totally immersed in working on the farm: working with the animals, chopping wood to heat the farmhouse, cooking fresh produce from the farm, working on construction projects and getting out into nature. For many of them who haven't ever left London or seen a cow in the flesh - this is an incredible new experience.

This meaningful work is combined with being able to escape their normal routine for a week, and students have regular therapeutic conversations in a caring and nurturing environment. The whole group has family meals three times a day, with fresh produce cooked by the students with the help of a chef.

I have already paid for my place to run the marathon, so 100% of any donation will go towards paying for the students to go on this amazing trip.

Thank you so much in advance for any donations towards this cause. It will make a big difference.

Nick