Students from Wolverhampton Grammar School are preparing to take on their annual Coast 2 Coast Challenge next month. Running 170 miles across the north of England in just 24 hours, to raise funds for Wolverhampton‑based charity Good Shepherd.
The relay challenge will see a team of Year 10 students run from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire, starting at 7am on Saturday 23 May and aiming to arrive by 7am on Sunday 24 May.
This year, the students have chosen to support Good Shepherd, a local charity which has been helping people in the city for over 50 years. Good Shepherd provides a wide range of services supporting people experiencing homelessness, individuals with multiple complex needs, vulnerable families, and people on low incomes.
As part of their preparation, the students are undertaking 16 weeks of training and have recently visited Good Shepherd’s centre on Waterloo Road to have a tour of the services, hear from the staff about their life-changing work and helped prepare donations for the charity’s family food pantry service.
Students taking part in the Coast 2 Coast Challenge, volunteering for Good Shepherd’s family food pantry service.
Roopen, is one of the students who is taking part in the challenge and visited the centre said:
“It was inspiring to see the way Good Shepherd supports people, no matter what they’ve been through. When you visit, you really understand who you’re running for and who your fundraising will help.”
Students have set a fundraising target of £3,000 and are taking part in a series of fundraising activities before the race to help them reach their goal. Lucy Cox, Fundraising and Grants Manager said:
“We’re so grateful to have been selected by the students as this year’s beneficiary of the Coast 2 Coast challenge.
“As a Wolverhampton-based charity, it was fantastic to welcome the students to Good Shepherd so they could see some of our work first‑hand and understand the real impact their fundraising will have for people in the local community.
“We wish the whole team the very best of luck with this incredible challenge!”.
The Coast 2 Coast Challenge is a proud tradition at Wolverhampton Grammar School and has been running for over 25 years.
Mr French, the lead for Coast 2 Coast said:
“We are incredibly proud of the determination these students have shown throughout their training. Over the past 16 weeks, they have committed themselves fully, supporting one another and pushing their limits in preparation for this demanding relay. Their enthusiasm has extended beyond the run itself, with initiatives like the sleep out and other fundraising activities reflecting a genuine commitment to making a difference. We’re all really looking forward to this year’s challenge and to seeing their hard work translate into meaningful support for Good Shepherd.”
To support the students’ fundraising efforts and help make a difference to some of the most disadvantaged people in the community, donations can be made at: https://gsmwolverhampton.enthuse.com/pf/wgs-coast2coast2026