An MCS teacher that took part in a Top Gear-style charity challenge to Ireland with friends, was awarded the Ted Senior Award by Diana Senior in a moving moment at the school’s annual academic awards evening last week.

59-year-old Pete Jenkins, was originally shocked to discover during a routine blood donation appointment that he was suffering from a type of blood cancer.

Top Gear
The crew of nine, and a cardboard cut-out of Stuart Little who had planned to take on the journey but he’d just undergone an operation for prostate cancer, pictured outside the Market House in Ross just before setting off to travel to Northern Ireland. (Iliffe)

He explained: “In January, I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. It was a bit of a shock.

"I'm on what's called watch and wait. I still have regular blood tests and, apart from being tired sometimes, I don't really have symptoms.”

Alongside a group of close friends, he took on the ‘Relics in Relics’ challenge, travelling from his home town Ross, through Wales, Ireland and onto Northern Ireland in five cars worth less than £650 each to raise money for charities that support the fight against blood cancer.

At the awards evening last week, Headteacher Hugo Hutchinson announced that this year’s Ted Senior Award went to Mr Jenkins for a number of reasons.

“First he reached the milestone of 100 blood donations.

“Secondly he has recently led a ‘Relics in Relics’ Top Gear style driving event from Ross on Wye to Ireland and back in a car that only cost £350”.

He turned to Mr Jenkins and said “I've seen the car you chose and you were ripped off”.

“Most relevant to our school community, he has supported those students in our school who have needed it most, those that are struggling to cope, those whose lives have been turned upside down, those that need certainty stability, time and care more than anything else and he does so with unrelenting kindness a seemingly endless, a supply of patience and a fundamental belief in the decency and potential of every human being”.