Finish line looms for school's Advent Challenge

Wednesday, 24 December 2025 08:20

An Advent Challenge for Mont à l'Abbé School ends today, with teacher James Scott completing his 300-mile accumulator to raise money for a new playground.

Throughout December, the school has been encouraging people to do more than just opening the door on an advent calendar.

It asked islanders to play, run, walk, cycle, or do any form of exercise every day throughout Advent.

The aim was to get increasingly more active as the month progressed and help the school raise the last of the £450,000 it needs for a new, specially-equipped playground for its pupils who all have additional needs.

Organiser James Scott led by example, and today (24 December) he will clock up the last of 300 miles.

Each day he has been running an extra mile, starting with a single one on 1 December, to 24 miles today.

James set himself a goal of raising £7,500 and, by this morning, he'd reached almost £9,000.

He will complete the last day of the challenge at La Fregate at 1pm, with many of the school's children and families there to cheer him across the finish line.

James told Channel 103:

"I have actually never run a marathon in my life before. The furthest I have done is a half-marathon, so this is definitely testing my legs and my mental strength as well.

"Hopefully this time next year the playground will be built and all the children will be full of joy, full of laughs and full of smiles and that's what it is all about and that has been my motivation while I have been on my runs."

You can support James' efforts here.