Oldham students support classmate's cause at SATS workshop

An Oldham-based tuition company, Conexus Tution, offered free SATS tuition over the Easter holidays to help Year 5 and Year 6 students in the borough.

Barry Sherry, the Principal Director of Conexus Tuition and a former maths teacher in Royton, said the workshop was inspired to help youngsters plug any gaps in their learning and revise for their examinations.

The SATS workshop in action (Image: Conexus Tuition)

The workshops took place over two days during the break and was facilitated by experienced primary school teachers, Amy Beachill and Lucy Wood.

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Refreshments were provided for free by the Royton Co-op while two Royton Conservative councillors, Lewis Quigg and Dave Arnott, contributed to the event.

There were also 'helpers' from local secondary schools who helped manage and run the event.

Parents said their youngsters benefitted from the event (Image: Conexus Tuition)

Mr Sherry said: "The event was a huge success and we received lots of positive feedback."

In reviews, parents said their youngsters "enjoyed" the event and felt supported.

One parent said their daughter had a "fantastic time" and came out "not feeling like she can't do maths, which is a huge achievement".

Another said their child "felt more confident" with maths as a result of the workshop.

There were helpers from local secondary schools (Image: Conexus Tuition)

But the event also sought to raise funds for Ryan Simonaitis, a young father from Shaw who has been given the devastating news that his rare form of cancer is terminal.

He was a "fit and strong" joiner before he was diagnosed with ampullary cancer last year, a rare cancer that forms in the digestive system.

Ryan said he was "scared and upset" when he was given the diagnosis while his wife, Emma, said it has been "traumatic" for the whole family.

The 36-year-old's family is currently trying to raise funds to help him live as long as possible and so he can spend time with his three children, Jake, aged 14, who is severely autistic, Natalia, aged nine, and Izzy, aged three.

Ryan's family said the diagnosis has been traumatic (Image: Emma Simonaitis)

The Shaw school teacher, author and prolific fundraiser, Steve Hill, who sparked his own charity, The Team Hill Charitable Trust, became aware of the campaign as Ryan is the father to one of his pupils at the school.

The charity then backed the fundraising efforts and in partnership with the SATS workshop, managed to raise £100 towards Ryan's fundraiser.

The group now hope to contribute even more on a fundraising night on Friday, April 28 where there will be a 'Team Hill race' at Crompton Cricket Club.

The race night will see participants sponsor a 'horse' to run in the race.

Barry Sherry (left) and Steve Hill (right) (Image: Conexus Tuition)

Meanwhile, a family friend, Kimberley Kershaw, has set up another fundraiser to swim 15-and-a-half miles in 20 days for the Simonaitis family.

Speaking to The Oldham Times about the fundraising efforts earlier this week, Ryan said: "The charitable things have been great.

"It's massively important to raise awareness about the cancer and gene so that other people can get diagnosed quicker."

Donations can still be made to Ryan's GoFundMe page by clicking here.

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