Sheffield teenager raises over £4,500 towards mini bus for specialist school by completing walking challenge

A Sheffield teenager has raised over £4,500 by completing a walking challenege in a bid to raise money to buy a new mini bus for his school.
Headteacher Carolyn Sutcliffe and assistant headteacher and driver Nigel Kirkpatrick with pupil from Talbot Specialist School infront of their current minibusHeadteacher Carolyn Sutcliffe and assistant headteacher and driver Nigel Kirkpatrick with pupil from Talbot Specialist School infront of their current minibus
Headteacher Carolyn Sutcliffe and assistant headteacher and driver Nigel Kirkpatrick with pupil from Talbot Specialist School infront of their current minibus

Max Burgar-Briggs, age 13, of Wisewood, challenged himself to walk 150 miles throughout the month of July to raise vital funds for Talbot Specialist School in Norton Lees.

Born 16 weeks premature and a surviving quadruplet, Max has right side hemiplegia, meaning the right side of his body is affected by cerebral palsy, along with Addison’s disease for which he takes daily steroids.

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Max Burgar has raised over £4,500 to help buy a mini bus for his schoolMax Burgar has raised over £4,500 to help buy a mini bus for his school
Max Burgar has raised over £4,500 to help buy a mini bus for his school
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Due to his condition Max cannot walk long distances but was determined to complete the challenge for the sake of his school.

He documented every step of his journey on YouTube, to keep his supporters up to date and to give him something to look back on and feel inspired.

After completing the challenge Max, who will start in Year 9 in September, said: “I just feel amazing and feel over the moon. Obviously it has been very hard, especially when I’ve got home and been tired from school but I’m really overjoyed I’ve been able to complete it and it has been a great experience.

“I really wanted to raise as much money as I could as the school is in a tricky situation at the moment so that kept me going. We’ll continue to raise money as we’re still a bit short. So far there’s £4,500 through online donations and we’ve had £470 in cash on top from a raffle.

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“I’m just very proud of myself and couldn’t have done it without the support from my pals, family and other people around me.”

Talbot Specialist School caters for students with special educational and physical disabilities, from Year 7 through to Year 14, offering opportunities for them to participate in a wide range of activities, with many taking place off site.

The current bus, which is old and deteriorating, is used daily to take children with severe and complex learning difficulties on trips and to sporting activities, but costs are increasing for its repairs and maintenance and is not financially viable anymore.

The school are trying to raise £16,000 for a new, larger bus that will enable a full class to travel together on outings and will also come with a full tail lift allowing any wheelchair users to attend the visits too.

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Max’s mum added: “We’re all just immensely proud of Max. It has been difficult for him on some days. The day before the last day he only managed to walk a mile. On the last evening at football training his friends from the Sheffield FC disabled team helped him to finish the last bit. They all rallied round to complete it together.”

Currently more funds are needed to buy the bus, with Westfield Health promising to donate the remainder once £15,000 has been raised.

To watch Max’s journey click here or to donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/maxi