For the last OCA day, Sunday 8 November, over 160 OCs took part in a fundraising event for former teacher Mr Patterson. The aim was to travel around the entire outskirts of Ireland to achieve a cumulative distance of 1450km (around 900miles). Each OC kindly donated if they took part in the challenge and I was blown away by the uptake.

The community spirit was in full flow. 285 hours worth of exercise completed, with OC’s from over 4 continents taking part. We travelled an absolutely ridiculous total of 3,090.21km in just 164 activities. An average of 18.8km per person. That’s over 2 whole laps around Ireland. It was a huge effort from everybody that took part to travel the distance that they did.

After some late entries and donations that spilled over into Monday and Tuesday there was a total of 161 people that took part helping raise an enormous £3,500 towards Mr Patterson’s go fund me page. The OCA have kindly donated £1000 towards the cause too based on how many took part. Mr Patterson was an enormous part of my time at Caterham, not only as a pupil, but also when returning as a teacher and it just shows what an impact he had on OCs school life that that many ex-students turned out on Sunday to help raise money for a great cause.

In particular, there were some herculean efforts from some. The day started down under with Joe McLaren tackling 100km (76km cycle, 1.3km swim and finishing with a half marathon) before Ali Bownas took over the reins cycling a mammoth 161km. Brothers, Ali and Cameron Brown both cycled 150km, Adam Foulds and Henry Payne ran a marathon over the North Downs covering 43km and Ben Lewis and David Cooper-Parry cycled over 100km too. 3 half marathons from Lorne Barnard, Ross McInley, Cameron Lagerberg, and a walking half marathon from Harry McInley from Brixton to Caterham School took the total for the day well over 2000km. With a late walking marathon from Libby Lewis being added to the total it took us past a mind boggling 3000km. 15 years worth of Caterham leavers took part showing what an impact Mr Patterson has had on the community. It made me proud to be an Old Caterhamian.

Thank you for all those that took part and made donations. It’s for a great cause and it hugely, hugely appreciated.

OC Craig Moore 

Any further donations to the go fund me page are hugely welcome. Click here to donate via the Go Fund Me page

Here are some of the photos sent in from Old Cats that took part last Sunday, if you have any to add to the gallery please send them to oldcats@caterhamschool.co.uk …