Pupils at a Scottish secondary school are set to pay tribute to an 'amazing' teacher who tragically passed away from bowel cancer last year by running the Edinburgh Marathon and raising money for charity.
Fifteen students from Royal High in Edinburgh will remember their deputy headteacher, Paul Chambers, who died in September last year aged 48 after suffering from the disease.
Edinburgh Live writes that a team from the Barnton school will participate in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival in May and hopes to raise £3,000 for Bowel Cancer UK in order to commemorate their teacher's memory.
Students have said that they want to continue Mr Chambers' fundraising efforts in recognition of his own legacy of supporting charities even as he battled cancer over a period of two years.
They hope that alongside raising funds, they will also be able to raise awareness of the disease and encourage as many people as possible to get themselves checked by a medical professional.
Euan Bryce, an S6 pupil, who has been training since January for the Marathon, said: "Mr Chambers was instrumental in many ways as a deputy here, from arranging residential trips to launching the highly successful careers support system.
"He loved a challenge and spent time cycling and walking to raise funds during his cancer battle. Now it is time for us to step up and carry on these fundraising efforts."
He added: "I'm enjoying the training. It will no doubt become more challenging as I start increasing the mileage soon but will make sure to always keep the cause in mind."
Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in Scotland, with more than 1,700 people dying of the disease and around 4,200 people being diagnosed each year. It is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early.
Symptoms of bowel cancer can include: bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo, a persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit, unexplained weight loss, extreme tiredness for no obvious reason, a pain or lump in your tummy.
Other health problems can cause similar symptoms but if you have one or more of these, or if things just don't feel right, experts recommend that you see your GP.
Royal High headteacher Pauline Walker said: "It's a real testament to Mr Chambers that our pupils want to raise funds in his memory. We hope we can continue to make a difference in his name. Good luck to the team!"
Luke Squires, director of fundraising at Bowel Cancer UK, said: "We're so grateful to have a team from The Royal High School taking on this challenge for the charity by running in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival.
"It's only because of people like this supporting the charity that we can continue to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer."
Donations can be made here at the team's JustGiving page.
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