A BARNOLDSWICK Town player and teacher has helped his school PE department complete the 31 marathons in as many days challenge, raising over £1000 for a mental health charity.

Andrew Hill, who teaches at Sir John Thursby Community College, was part of a team of six from the school to complete the fundraiser.

Each member was required to clock up a marathon between them each day for the entirety of May in their chosen discipline of walking, running or cycling.

The team of Hill, Heather Windle, Heather Davies, Tom Ryland, Gary Woods and William Oddy almost completed double the miles target and managed to raise £1513 for the charity, Lancashire Mind.

Hill said: "Head of department, Heather Windle, came up with the idea of doing a challenge. We wanted to raise awareness for mental health.

"I did all my miles through running so towards the end I started to get a bit leggy. We were well over our mileage count. We averaged nearly 40/50 miles a day.

"It is all going to a good cause especially at this time where there is a lot of people suffering with mental health problems in the lockdown.

"There are a couple of people at the school who have been fundraising for Pendleside Hospice so we wanted to do something a bit different.

"That was a big thing too to keep the kids engaged. I have tried to do a lot of my running in and around school so if I did see any kids I could have a bit of a chat with them. We were posting on the facebook page too so the students could follow us."

Speaking on the difficulties of teaching during these uncertain times, the PE and maths teacher added: "It has not been easy, in a sense that it is difficult to measure what students are doing.

"You can send it for them to do it at home but you can’t force them to do it as such. It has been frustrating, but it is just one of those things, we are all in the same boat.

"We have been on a rota so I have only been in on like three days. We have only had 10 kids in so they only need four or five members of staff.

"When we are in, we are not doing masses of teaching. It is just a case of getting them to complete the work that the staff has set them online which they can’t at home because their parents are key workers."

Hill is also eager to get back out on the pitch for Town when it is safe to do so.

The central midfield is about to enter his fourth season at the club and has loved every minute since joining.

Despite being disappointed about how last season ended, the FA null and voiding the campaign, Hill can't wait to start training for whenever this season gets underway.

He said: "I enjoy it there, it is a good club. It (last season) just petered out, but there are some things that can't be helped and safety comes first.

"We are hoping to start training in the next couple of weeks. It is just that uncertainty to when we are going to get back. It could be in two months or it could be next year."