By Pamela McGowan

Last updated at 14:40, Friday, 27 July 2012

Teachers at a Carlisle school raised nearly 10 times their target for breast cancer after being inspired by a colleague who fought the disease.

From left, Stuart McLean, Adam Crewe, Karen Barley, deputy head, Nick Page, head, Louise Ryans, Vicky Ewing, CFM’s Robbie Dee, Lorraine Salmon, Fiona Prior and Catherine Coulthard

The group of staff from Norman Street Primary School, off Greystone Road handed over more than £4,000 to Breakthrough Breast Cancer after cycling 156 miles across the UK.

They set themselves the Coast to Coast challenge after a colleague battled the illness. Several have also had family members affected by breast cancer so it was a cause close to all of their hearts.

A total of 19 members of staff, together with their relatives and friends of the school, took part in the three-day challenge, cycling from Whitehaven to Tynemouth on the east coast over the May bank holiday.

It was organised by teacher Karen Barley whose 17-year-old son Eliot is the youngest member of the group. The oldest – Peter Copley, is in his 60s. Karen unfortunately suffered a dramatic set back on the second day.

“We all started off from Whitehaven on the Saturday morning, stopped at Whinlatter for lunch then battled on to Greystoke for the night,” she explained. “The next morning was straight on to Hartside and it started to snow.

“Everyone else had an amazing cycle but unfortunately for me my knee just went pop. I had to spend the rest of the journey in the support vehicle.”

Karen is now waiting to see if she needs knee surgery but has vowed to complete the route when she is finally fit again. However the rest of the group managed to complete the challenge without injury and help raise a total of £4,019.50.

Many of them had never tried anything like it before and weren’t sure they’d make it. “It was really tough and tested everyone, especially that second day. By the time we got to the youth hostel at night there were some very tired people,” added Karen. “But everyone finished it except me.”

Initially they had hoped to raise £500 so they were over the moon with the total.

They revealed the final amount at a special end-of-term assembly last week.

At the same time the school celebrated the success of its pupils, handing out celebration certificates for individual achievements, excellent behaviour and 100 per cent attendance records.

CFM’s Robbie Dee came into school to give out the certificates and meet the children. In return the school gave a donation to the radio station’s cash For Kids appeal. The money came from a collection during the assemblies for parents.

Karen said the children and whole community had been ‘really supportive.’

“It’s nice for us to be able to do something like this as a team and for it to include both men and women,” she said.

The other participants were John Barley, Fiona Prior, Lorraine and Stephen Salmon, Vicky Ewing, Deborah Allen, Catherine and Ian Coulthard, Rod Phillips, Andrea McCallum, Joanne Tinniswood, Jeanette Ward, Andrew Flockhart and Gillian Naylor.

First published at 14:05, Friday, 27 July 2012
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk