Belhaven's 'Three Peaks' Challenge
Raising Funds & Scaling Heights for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance
Belhaven Hill School’s pupils and staff recently took part in an ambitious whole school sponsored walk for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA). All one hundred and forty-one 5 to 13 year-olds and staff at the boarding and day school, had to climb ‘The Belhaven Three Peaks’, North Berwick Law, Traprain Law and, of course, Belhaven Hill!
Belhaven had been inspired by the life’s work of John Bullough, a godparent of one of the pupils, and the founding chairman of Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance, which had been adopted as the charity for the spring term. The goal was to raise enough funds to purchase a new helicopter helmet costing about £5000 for one of the helicopter crew.
Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance responds to two time-critical emergency callouts every day’ and has had 5788 callouts since being founded in 2014. SCAA receives no government funding, so relies 100% on donations from the public and needs to raise £7.8 million in 2024-25 to fuel its life-saving flights across Scotland.
With each Belhaven year group assigned an age-appropriate distance that would prove challenging yet achievable, the whole School ascended North Berwick Law together. Accompanied and encouraged by two SCAA mascots, a pilot bear and an energetic helicopter, the eldest walkers then set out along the John Muir Way en route to East Linton and Traprain Law.
“Fortunately, the weather on the day was incredibly kind to us, and everyone completed their section of the route in glorious sunshine,” says Olly Langton, Belhaven Hill School’s Headmaster. “The views from the top of both of the famous East Lothian landmarks made for a memorable day.”
Conversations flowed, friendships were cemented and children, staff and parents supported one another, energised by the ever-increasing fundraising total and the jovial support of the tireless SCAA helicopter mascot.
Olly Langton continues: “By the end of the day, it was clear that ‘The Belhaven Three Peaks’ had been an enormous success. Not only had the original fundraising target been more than doubled, but everyone felt that they had achieved something important.
“The school is now looking forward to presenting a cheque for just over £12,202.87 to SCAA and hearing more about the exploits of John Bullough, its founding chairman, at a whole school assembly.”
This summer term, Belhaven’s charitable focus turns to its chosen international charity, Kids Operating Room: the whole school will be camping in the grounds of Belhaven, with the support of ‘The Wild Outdoors’. During the course of the 2023-24 year, the small independent, East Lothian school hopes to have raised about £13,000 for three healthcare providers, Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, SCAA and KidsOR, Belhaven’s local, national and international charities.
Watch our Instagram Reel of the day's events here
