School team triumph against the odds (From Warrington Guardian)

School team triumph against the odds

12:00pm Friday 22nd March 2013 in News

AGAINST all the odds, a group of Great Sankey students have been celebrating after successfully defending their national robotics competition title.

The team of six from Barrow Hall College made the trip to London for the Vex National Championships on their own after their school told them they could not ‘support’ the trip as health and safety forms needed to be filled in.

Team member Joseph Roberts appealed for readers’ help on the Warrington Guardian website and thanks to generation donations from personal trainer Paul Warburton and an anonymous couple the group made it to the capital on an overnight bus to save cash on a hotel.

Described by organisers as a ‘truly inspirational’ team, the Sankey six beat competitors from across the country for the second year in a row and now have the opportunity to compete at the world championships in California.

The team are now hoping to find a sponsor after missing out on the trip to America last year.

Parent John Davies said: “The students were determined to go to London to defend their title.

“They got the midnight coach arriving at 7am on the day of the competition and struggled with the robot on the coach, tube and taxis across London. " "I am very proud and delighted for my daughter and fellow students, who despite numerous setbacks and against the odd have successfully defended their UK title.

“I do hope they can now find suitable sponsors to enable them to full fill their dreams and represent their country at the world championships."
A school spokesman said: “We are a school who takes the safeguarding of our students very seriously and on this occasion we couldn't authorise the event as a school trip.
“We now need to raise £6,000 to get them to California and so far we have been selling a mile of the journey for £1 each and staff have generously bought 156 miles.
“The European Metal Recycling Group have also donated £200 to have their logo on the robot in California but we need to finance the remaining 5,644 miles if any readers can help.”
E-mail bhcvex@gmail.com.