Episode 2

full
Published on:

30th Apr 2026

London Landmarks Half Marathon in aid of Tommy’s, the UK’s leading pregnancy and baby loss charity

Welcome to the Downe House podcast, where you can learn more about life at Downe House School. In this episode, we’re taking to the streets of the capital, re-living the London Landmarks Half Marathon, which saw a team of 50 girls and staff from Downe House take part. The team was galvanised by Hettie, our Head Senior, in aid of Tommy’s, the UK’s leading pregnancy and baby loss charity. Joining Simon on the podcast are Hettie, Matt Godfrey, Deputy Head and two of the runners, Violet Rose and Olivia.

Key topics:

  • Hettie, Head Girl, shares how she organised the school’s participation and fundraising efforts
  • Insights into the training process from Olivia and Violet Rose, including the Couch to 5K programme
  • The emotional and practical experiences from race day, capturing the energy and community support
  • The strategic charity choice — supporting women through Tommy’s during challenging pregnancies and births
  • The impact of such events on school community, leadership skills, and student confidence
  • Staff reflections on the significance of fundraising and community engagement for student development
  • How student-led initiatives like this leave lasting legacies and life skills beyond school

Links:

https://www.tommys.org

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About the Podcast

The Downe House Podcast
The podcast where we discover more about Downe House School. Whether you're new to our community or an old friend we'll be delving deeper, sharing stories and finding out what it really means to be a pupil at Downe House. There is no typical Downe House girl but there are seven key characteristics which girls develop through all aspects of school life which we call our Downe House DNA. If you have any questions please do contact the school through the main website.