The ninth Robin Hood Festival was another huge success! With bigger audiences and more performers than ever before, it really has become a highlight in South Yorkshire’s arts calendar.
The latest talk in our speaker series, The Robert Winston Lectures, was particularly special as we welcomed quadruple amputee, Alex Lewis, for his talk, ‘A Minor Setback’. Alex discussed his journey from contracting an apparent common cold, to battling Strep A, Toxic Shock Syndrome, Septicaemia and Necrotising Fasciitis.
Through his humour and positive attitude, Alex taught us that anything is possible. The audience listened intently as he talked us through his life as a pub landlord and father, to adventures such as kayaking through Greenland, skydiving and battling rapids in Africa.
Alex’s story first came to the public eye back in 2016, thanks to a Channel 4 documentary, 'The Extraordinary Case of Alex Lewis'. Since then, he has made it his mission to live life to its fullest and be the best father he can be, whilst raising awareness of the daily battles that amputees face.
We also heard about his next mission, tackling Ethiopia’s highest peak on a specially made hand-cycle for the Wild Wheelchairs Project. His aim is to bring awareness to Ethiopia’s amputee population, who are often shunned by society. He will be raising money to turn a wheelchair workshop into a full factory and hoping to influence some positive change in the country.
If you would like to donate to this wonderful course, you can do so here: https://goo.gl/kcDyr8
Alex was kind enough to answer questions after his talk and he even had pupils queuing up to speak with him after the event.
Event organiser, Miss Chappell, said afterwards, “It was such a privilege to welcome Alex; he has really highlighted to us how important it is to persevere and never give up, no matter what obstacles we face. This is a great message for our pupils and a reminder to us all that life is for living. He has been a true inspiration and we are very grateful to him for speaking to us.”
For those who could not make the lecture, the highlights are available on our YouTube channel.
We now look forward to our final lecture of the year on Tuesday 7 May, Dr Olly Ayers. Olly will be talking to us about Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement, an important topic for everyone studying History.
Hill House pupils are swinging into spring with a new addition to the school woods.
Thanks to a generous donation from the Friends of Hill House School, we have installed a zip wire and some brand new exercise equipment.
The Head Girls had the honour of the first ever ride, quickly followed by competition winners from each House.
Headmaster, Mr Holland, said, “We were delighted when the Friends said that they would like to donate to further develop the woods and a zip wire fits perfectly with the ethos of our school. We strongly believe that children should have the opportunity to be children, to enjoy playing, whilst still being encouraged to take risks. Ever since the zip wire opened, it has proved very popular, even our Sixth Formers enjoy having a go!
Alongside the zip wire, we have also installed some outdoor exercise equipment. Throughout school life, we hope to foster a healthy attitude towards fitness and, again, the pupils are enjoying making use of the equipment.
Previous developments in the woods have included a forest school, dipping pond and archery range. With recent studies highlighting the importance of outdoor learning, we feel very lucky to be able to offer these facilities.
We are very grateful to the Friends group for their ongoing support, they work tirelessly to fundraise for the school and it is fantastic to see so much fun being had!”