Streetly Academy raises more than £4,000 in honour of much-loved Sunil
A team of runners from a Streetly school has raised more than £4,000 in memory of former student.
Teachers, parents and pupils from Streetly Academy raised £4118 for the Sutton Coldfield branch of Ataxia UK in memory of Sunil Parkash, when they took part in the Royal Sutton Fun Run.
Sunil passed away aged 18 after being diagnosed with Ataxia at the age of10.
Teacher Jonny Boyes, who co-ordinated the team entry, said: “Sunil was a beacon of light within our school and lit up any room.
"He was a young man who had a cheeky sense of humour and wore a constant smile on his face despite living with Ataxia since being diagnosed at the age of ten. It was a huge shock to the school community when he passed away in August 2021 at the age of 18.
“The school Fun Run team always selects a local charity to support and if possible one with a strong connection to the school. Helping to raise awareness of Ataxia and raise money for the local support group was an obvious choice this year and I’m delighted with the response and total raised.”
Patricia Castledine, who co-ordinates the Royal Sutton Coldfield branch of Ataxia UK said: “It was a wonderful gesture for the school to support Ataxia and specifically to fundraise in memory of Sunil for our local branch in Sutton.
“Ataxia disrupts the messages sent from the brain to muscles that are used to move, speak, listen, and see.
"It’s a degenerative condition with currently no cure but considerable progress has been made in finding a treatment to help those living with Ataxia.
“People with Ataxia can often find themselves living in isolation. This donation will enable us to continue to provide vital support.”
