Emergency services have united to help a special Fenland school with a virtual 'Blue Light Race' and you can join in

Fenland police officers have launched a virtual ‘Blue Light Race’ in order to raise funds for a local school.

The Blue Light Race, which officially launches on Monday (10), will see police, fire and ambulance services compete to rack up miles all while raising money for Meadowgate Academy in Wisbech.

Fenland Inspector Ian Lombardo said: “The academy looks after children aged between two and 19 who require additional support due to varying physical or mental disabilities. On a visit to the school earlier this year I learnt it is in desperate need of funding to allow it to purchase a new mini bus which costs about £35,000 due to all the adaptions that are required.

“Their current fleet is really old and essential equipment such as the wheelchair ramps are starting to break down frequently and becoming increasingly costly to repair.

“Seeing the amazing work they do for the children in our community made me want to help them and this is where the idea for the Blue Light Race came from.

“This event is about local emergency services coming together to help a local school that provides care for some of the most vulnerable children in our community.”

The event is a virtual race between the blue light services between 10 to 24 August, with the three emergency services competing to rack up the most miles covered by their employees and their supporters.

The three teams each have their own hashtag to track miles - #BLRpolice, #BLRfire and #BLRambo. Members of the public are being asked to support the event by either walking, running or cycling any distance and to then post their mileage on social media with the hashtag of the team they want their mileage to be added to. Activity can be done out in the open, or by using the newly re-opened gyms.

To qualify to have mileage added to a team all that needs to be done is to donate to the event’s Just Giving page once. Multiple donations can be made but only once is required to have mileage accepted, and then mileage can be added multiple times using the hashtags on social media.

Inspector Lombardo added: “We’re hoping to be able to raise at least £2,000 for the school, but with supporters such as Peterborough United Football Club and celebrities Katie Piper and Ricky Rayment already onboard, we’re hoping to be able to raise much more than our initial modest target.”

Michelle Flanz, headteacher of the academy, said: “I want to say a big thank you in advance to everyone who is supporting this event. We are completely reliant on our vehicles and without them our children’s lives just would not be as rich, we need them to get out and about and be a part of the community.

“All the money raised will be well spent in ensuring our pupils have the access to the community they so desperately need and the rich curriculum that we strive to give them.”

Progress of the race will be posted every couple of days on the Policing Fenland Facebook page and FenCops Twitter account.

Donations to the cause can be made via the event’s Just Giving page here https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/blue-light-race-for-meadowgate-academy.

A video giving more detail about event and information about the school can be found on the force’s YouTube channel here.