It was great to see so many 2019 Leavers return for Prize Giving, held at Clifton Cathedral. Prizes were presented this year by Ben Smith of 401 Challenge fame. 

Ben shot to fame when he ran 401 marathons in 401 days all around the UK with the aim of raising £250,000 for two anti-bullying charities. The challenge was a huge success, raising over £330,000 and inspiring people to do things they never thought they could do and raising awareness of the harmful effects bullying can have on your confidence and self-esteem. The USA 2020 Challenge, recently launched by Ben, takes this even further and will see him run a marathon in each of the 50 US state capitals and then cycle between each one, aiming to raise £1million.

Having presented the prizes and congratulated students on their successes, Ben spoke to the school about his experiences growing up, including the bullying he was subjected to, and of overcoming adversity.

Stephen Holliday, Headmaster at QEH, says “Congratulations to all our students, present and past, for their many achievements throughout the year. We were delighted to welcome Ben Smith to present the prizes and I am sure everyone present was inspired by his address.”