A north-east schoolboy jogged with a crown prince, ate grasshoppers and raised £6,000 for charity during an African adventure.
When Bobby Boardman, 14, was asked by his school to find work experience, he decided to go one further and undertake a week of volunteering projects in Uganda.
The idea came after his parents Carron and Bruce were searching for their next challenge after completing a half-marathon in 2017.
Not long after finding out about the Uganda Marathon, Bobby came home with a letter from Ellon Academy asking him to find work experience.
His parents quickly realised that work experience week was the same date they had earmarked to take part in the Uganda Marathon, and a plan began to unfold.
With the school’s blessing, the couple accompanied Bobby to Uganda where he volunteered on grassroots projects at Jomain Midland Academy on the island of Kalanagala in Lake Victoria.
The teenager also managed to raise £6,000 for the Uganda Foundation, which combats rural poverty, including by successfully completing a 10k race.
After arriving back in the north-east, Mrs Boardman said: “Bobby achieved what he set out to do and more.
“He hit his fundraising target.
“He started the Uganda Marathon with the crown prince, David Wasajja.
“He helped create a colourful playground at the school.
“He helped to teach a small community how to raise money by selling their plastic waste to be made in to bricks.
“He completed his race although it was a challenge – you can’t run when 20 children are hugging you.
“He started some amazing new friendships, tried some new foods – including grasshoppers, learnt new skills, and realised even more how lucky we are.”
She added: “Bobby is a very caring young man and understands that life isn’t easy for everyone.”
Having precious little experience of running beforehand, Bobby was particularly proud of completing 10k.
With him in his luggage he had 120 pairs of running shoes for the Ugandan runners, which he had amassed with the help of the Ellon community.
Ellon Academy head teacher Pauline Buchan said the school was proud of his efforts, and that he will get the chance to share his experiences with pupils and staff.
