A VICE principal at UTC Warrington has completed the Ugandan Marathon and volunteered in the country to support rural communities.

Joe Varey, who lives in Oldham, works as Vice Principal for Personal Development at the Warrington college and also raised money for the young people’s charity Papyrus when in Africa.

The 40-year-old said his time in Africa was an amazing experience and it has left him with memories that he will never forget.

“Having reached the summit of Kilimanjaro last year and completed marathons across Snowdon and the Isle of Aaron, this is definitely one of the toughest events I have ever done,” said Joe.

“The terrain was very difficult with lots of hills to cross and the 30-degree heat and high humidity made it quite a challenge.

“I was definitely taken out of my comfort zone, but it was definitely worth it when we ran through villages all the locals came out to cheer us on.”

As part of the Ugandan Marathon, participants volunteer in rural communities and help with grass roots projects lead by local organisations.

After initially working in Masaka, one of the largest towns in central Uganda, and donating a huge bag of trainers to locals, Joe then joined 3,000 runners to take part in the gruelling marathon.

“While in Masaka, I worked with street kids and taught them some business management skills,” he said.

“I also led social enterprise projects, helped with a recycling scheme to clean up the area and worked on farms to develop sustainable living methods with the locals

“Most of the families I met cannot afford to send their children to school and have to work on farms to raise enough money and food just to survive.”

Another reason why Joe wanted to compete in the marathon was to raise money and awareness for Papyrus, the national charity for the prevention of young suicide.

Suicide is the biggest killer of young people under the 35 in the UK, with over 1,600 sufferers taking their own life each year, and the charity is one which is close to Joe’s heart.

“Supporting Papyrus is very important to me as I lost one of my close friends to suicide two years ago, and I want to raise awareness around young people’s mental health,” he added.

“It is important to share this with students at UTC Warrington and it’s a privilege to see how engaged, motivated and supportive they are.

“They also asked how they can raise awareness and support in their own way, which is great to see.”

Papyrus run their confidential HOPELineUK to provide practical advice and support to young people with thoughts of suicide and those concerned about others.

At present, Joe has raised £600 which will be split between Papyrus and charities supporting people in Uganda, and fundraising is still open via his JustGiving page here.