Mum to run London marathon for coach crash children

8 hours ago

Ross PollardMinehead, Somerset

News image — Headteacher Laura (left) is encouraging others to fundraise like Helen (right)

BBC Headteacher Laura Mackie wearing a yellow blazer-style jacket and a black top underneath. She is smiling at the camera with brown, shoulder-length hair and is standing next to Helen who is wearing a black cardigan and gold necklace. She is smiling at the camera and has long brown hair. The two women are next to each other in front of a tree with bluebells beneath it and there is a building with lots of windows behind them. — Headteacher Laura (left) is encouraging others to fundraise like Helen (right)

The mother of a boy who was on a school coach when it crashed on Exmoor is due to take part in the London Marathon to help provide support for her son and other children who are still struggling "every day".

Helen, 42, said her son was "one of many" at Minehead Middle School who still needed ongoing support following the crash on 17 July last year.

Oliver Price, 10, died and 21 children were injured when the coach left the A396 near Wheddon Cross, in Somerset, and slid down a 20ft (6m) slope on the way back from a school trip to Exmoor Zoo.

Helen said her aim was to complete the marathon on Sunday to raise money for specialist support for children still suffering from trauma.

Helen said the crash had a massive impact on her son's life

She said the crash had made travelling and being near large vehicles very difficult for her son.

"If a big vehicle goes by, you can instantly see in his body language that he's scared and he cowers," she said.

"He used to love to go on adventures, go in the car everywhere. He used to love doing long journeys with his dad."

However, since the crash, she said he was a "different child" and he finds it difficult if he does not have something to occupy him.

Oldest and youngest villagers celebrate shop's birthday

'Do you fancy pushing me around a marathon?'

Duo convicted for £26m cocaine speedboat drop off

Laura Mackie is pictured wearing a yellow blazer-style jacket with a black top underneath. She is smiling widely at the camera. She has dark brown, shoulder-length hair.
Behind her is a book shelf filled with books. — Headteacher Laura Mackie said the children could be "triggered" unexpectedly since the crash in July last year

Headteacher Laura Mackie said: "You see children coming in and they change from day to day... their emotions and how they're feeling.

"They can be triggered by a whole range of different things that you won't even expect."

Mackie said she was "extremely proud" of her teaching team.

"They provide that warmth which is why all of our children have returned to school," she said.

"[They are] back in their classrooms and, at times, smiling and having fun and being 10 and 11-year-olds like they should be."

Helen said she thinks about the children when she is training.

"I'm running for such a close thing to my heart [so] it's really pushing me on," she said.

She said she hoped to raise £1,000 which would help the school fund external specialists to work with the children in small groups and help them learn to cope with their emotions.

It would also, she said, help support them in processing some of the things that they have - and continue to - experience.