A vibrant sea of red filled the playing fields at Stretford Grammar School as the community united for an Old School Sports Day. Designed and run by the sixth form parliament team, the event celebrated the life of long-serving headteacher Mr Michael Mullins. Students and staff wore red in memory of Mr Mullins, an avid supporter of Liverpool Football Club.

The afternoon raised vital funds for War Child, a charity nominated by his family. War Child works in conflict zones across the globe, providing protection, education, and trauma recovery to children whose lives are torn apart by war.

A Fast-Paced Afternoon of Competition

The parliament team organised a rapid schedule of traditional races, keeping participants and spectators on their feet throughout the afternoon. The competition opened with a five-minute egg and spoon race, which required intense concentration from the runners. This was followed by a five-minute sack race full of chaotic hops, before pairs tested their strength in a five-minute wheelbarrow race. Competitors then moved on to a five-minute beanbag throwing event to test accuracy. Organisers included a five-minute hurdles race on the schedule, though this was marked as a provisional event to cancel if time ran short. The energy peaked during a ten-minute whole form relay race that brought immense noise and school spirit, before the day concluded with a five-minute prize presentation to reward the top performers.

It was a wonderful event that captured the true spirit of the school community. Lana, a sixth form student who was instrumental in making the day happen, shared her reflections on the afternoon:

"We wanted to create something that brought everyone together in a positive way, exactly how Mr Mullins would have wanted. Seeing the whole field covered in red furthers our sense of pride in our school, and knowing the money goes to help children through War Child makes all the planning worthwhile."

The event was also supported by Tesco who donated a £250 gift card. Father of Joel in Year 9, works for Tesco, and when he mentioned it to his team they were keen to show support. Joel's father added: "I work in the head office at Tesco and mentioned this to our Community team to see if there is anything that Tesco could do to support the event as yourselves as teachers have been through an horrific time with the sad passing of Mr Mullins and Mr McAvoy, this has undoubtedly impacted the pupils as well. The community team have offered a £250 gift card to be used in the Stretford Extra Tesco store towards buying refreshments for the sports day event". Many thanks to Tesco for the generosity they showed in supporting our community.