Congratulations to all members of the Ferndown Upper School Plane Pull Team who spent their August Bank Holiday Monday pulling a Boeing 737, weighing in at 35,000 Kg, a distance of 50 metres for charity. An incredibly tough challenge, and with a time of 46.91 seconds, a fantastic achievement. The team proved to be champion fundraisers too, raising an incredible £1814.09 for the John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation (JTYAF).

Special thanks must go to Mandy who organised this great team. Mandy told us, ‘‘I really enjoyed getting together my friends, family & colleagues to create a team for the Dorset Plane Pull. It was fantastic to be part of such a unique event. Each of us have a connection to the JTYAF & we’re absolutely delighted with the amount of money raised. ‘

Pete Thornton, Chairman of the JTYAF, commented, ‘The Plane Pull is one of our favourite events and we were delighted that John’s old school was taking part and helping to raise funds for the JTYAF. We can’t thank them all enough for their support and also the friends and family who have donated so generously. Thanks, must also go to Ultra Nuclear Limited who donated a fantastic £466 in matched funding.’

The money the team worked so hard to raise will be used to directly support local young people, providing scholarships and bursaries to fund their training and personal development.