Go Run for Fun

Around 2,300 children from 30 Leeds primary schools took part in the INEOS GO Run For Fun® event in Leeds 24th April 2015. The event was the biggest to be staged anywhere in the UK to date, and over £2000 of the money raised was donated to the Ann Maguire Arts Education Fund.

Olympian Perri Shakes-Drayton was present to cheer the children on, saying: “It’s amazing to see so many children taking part in the GO Run For Fun events now. We’ve come a long way since the launch back in 2013 when we had around 200 children taking part. We will continue to spread the word to get even more children running before the end of the year.”

Headteacher at St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School commented, “We hope that the children will gain a sense of worth and achievement at completing the challenge of a 2km run with so many other children. Many schools will be raising money for the Ann Maguire Arts and Education Fund, which is a wonderful secondary virtue of organising the event.”

The campaign idea was conceived by Jim Ratcliffe who added: “I’m passionate about getting as many children running as possible as early as possible. The idea is simple – to get children out of the house having fun. It is not rocket science.  Running is the basis of so many great sports. If our children can catch the running bug early, they’re more likely to stick to it, and this can only lead to them having more active and healthier lifestyles in the future.”

Ann Maguire Gala

'Heroic', Mark Monahan, The Telegraph.

The Ann Maguire Gala was a unique opportunity to see a world-class line up of dancers, choreographers and musicians come together for a special performance in support of the Ann Maguire Arts Education Fund. Emma Maguire, daughter of Ann Maguire produced and performed in the gala.

The evening, hosted by Darcey Bussell and Jonathan Cope featured divertissements from the classical ballet repertoire including works by Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan, choreography by Liam Scarlett and Johan Kobborg alongside world premieres by Alastair Marriott and Jonathan Watkins with a special guest appearance from the Hackney Colliery Band.

“On Sunday night, a large number of Emma’s colleagues – chiefly, though not exclusively, from the Royal Ballet – rallied around her to perform at the inaugural gala in her mother’s name, raising a tremendous £100,000 for the fund.” Mark Monahan, The Telegraph.

“This was a gala with intimate, well-deployed musical forces: lots of live music, sometimes giving a fresh angle on familiar dances.” Zoe Anderson, The Independent.

“Of the various choreographic novelties, the stand-out was Steven McRae’s solo, Czardas... His dialogue with lead Covent Garden violinist Vasko Vassilev – belting out Monti’s famous Csárdás with brio – was superb, his feet fluttering like humming-birds’ wings, his entire body spinning so fast that he might have been on ice.

Rambert’s Miguel Altunaga was like a barely caged tiger in his self-penned, one-man celebration of muscles and movement, Memoria, while Ed Watson was particularly fine in Wayne McGregor’s Qualia pas de deux.

Village Cafe Fundraiser

“Every Saturday our village hall in Bowerchalke has a market selling local produce and a cafe. Individuals run the cafe who can either make money for themselves or their chosen charity. With a bit of advertising beforehand, we ran the cafe for the Ann Maguire Arts Education Fund. People’s generosity in giving was well beyond the price of what we sold. In total we raised £361 for the fund.” Angus and Janie Mann.

Concert For Ann

Four decades of past and present pupils and colleagues from Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds came together to celebrate Ann’s life in a fundraising concert. The choir was made up of those who had been part of Ann Maguire’s School choir and was acoompanied by the original Corpus Christi School Brass Band many of whom were also taught by Ann. They raised £3,900 from the concert and their fundraising efforts continue through the release of featured songs from that evening Wind Beneath My Wings and I Will Follw Him. Both tracks are available on iTunes and YouTube via Songs for Ann Maguire.

“When we set out on this project our main aim was to bring people together in Ann’s memory and to show how much she meant to us, but the fund has given us an additional focus and the chance to do something positive for others.” Christine Street, member of Corpus Christi Band.