The Barney Run is one of the School’s most cherished traditions, a test of determination, camaraderie and grit that dates back to 1892.
The 135th Barney Run
This year we will be hosting the 135th annual Barney Run, encouraging pupils from Prep and Senior School to participate in one of our most cherished traditions. The Run captures so much of what we value as a school – determination, community and camaraderie.
The Barney Bash
The ‘Barney Bash’ competition has been part of the Barney fabric since the 1990s, when former Headmaster Michael Featherstone introduced a new House competition to complement the historic Barney Run.
The Barney Bash became the Butterwick Charity Cup in 2005, when Mr Alderson thought a charity run would give an added incentive for everyone to get behind the Barney Bash. Former Biology teacher Mark Fuller, a long-time supporter of the Butterwick Hospice, donated the trophies, and it seemed apt to choose the Butterwick Hospice as our chosen charity.
Mary Butterwick OBE and Lord Barnard presented the first Butterwick Cups to winning Houses, York and Longfield, and Headmaster David Ewart presented a cheque for over £5000 to the Butterwick Hospice.
We went on to support the hospice for three years before broadening out our charitable giving to other ‘close to home’ charities. The first of these was Pancreatic Cancer UK, in 2008, in support of a much-loved Maths teacher, Tony Parkinson, who died of the disease in 2006.
Over the years, we have supported charities such as the Samaritans, Dreamflight, WaterAid, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), Centre Point, Kipsaina, Mary’s Meals and many others. We first supported CRY in 2017, following the sudden death of former Durham House pupil Alan Lumley, who collapsed and died whilst running the Wilmslow Half Marathon, on his 31st birthday.
The 23rd Butterwick Charity Cup, also known as the “Barney Bash”, aims to raise £3,500 to complete Saiwa Early Years Primary School in Western Kenya. Built entirely through funds raised by Barney’s July Kenya trip, the school will save young children a long walk to school, often starting in darkness.
Funds will provide pupil and staff latrines, window glass and final painting. Any additional money will help fund a rainwater harvesting tank to supply safe water for the school community.
