7 in 7 School Challenge for Motor Neurone Disease

On December 1st, Kevin Sinfield MBE kicked off his 5th challenge to raise funds for the MND community in memory of his friend and teammate, Rob Burrows. Rob’s shirt number, 7, was once again a theme for the event and they set out to raise £777,777 over 7 days, running in 7km blocks.

Pupils and staff at Cromer Academy, inspired by this mammoth task, decided to hold their own 7in7 mini challenge to help raise funds for Kevin’s Running Home For Christmas Challenge. We set out to raise £777 by running, walking or jogging 777km collectively as a school. Pupils were encouraged to do this in 1km stints around the school astro pitch.

Our event ran alongside Kevin’s challenge for 5 days. Pupils in all year groups covered 1km during their PE lessons to help build up the distance we needed to cover. Each lunchtime, the astro was open for pupils wishing to complete additional km’s to help reach our target distance. The response from pupils was incredible! Numbers increased each lunchtime, all drawn to the amazing atmosphere of the event. A cake sale and chocolate tombola were also organised to help us hit our target of £777.

The challenge exceeded our expectations, and we could not be prouder of our school community. The final total raised was £1264, with over 1500km walked or ran.

The community spirit whilst pupils were walking or jogging together at lunchtime was so powerful, we are now holding weekly Feelgood Friday walks on the astro at lunchtime. This is a golden opportunity for pupils to spend quality time together.

Carmen Brown- Community Relationship Fundraiser for Motor Neurone Disease Association

“Thank you so much for all your support and for organising a fantastic 7 in 7 fundraiser last month. Last year the MND Association provided over 5,400 grants for families affected by MND and our helpline took 11,500 calls and emails. We started this year by funding 250 MND researchers and we’re more determined than ever to make a difference in the search for a cure.

This work would not be possible without amazing fundraisers like you, so a huge THANK YOU SO MUCH for the important part you have all played and dedicating your valuable time to achieve more for families affected by MND in 2025 as well as get us that bit closer to finding a cure.”