Oldham's Steve Hill to visit Uganda before mega-marathon

Steve Hill MBE, the deputy headteacher at St Joseph’s RC Primary School in Shaw and founder of the Team Hill Charitable Trust, is flying out to Uganda again at the end of the month to see how his charity has helped Jomain Midland Academy Nursery and Primary School as well as the Eunice Medical Centre on Kalangala Island.

The globetrotting fundraiser has visited Uganda a handful of times already, including running the Ugandan marathon where he has earned the title of being the only person to complete the challenge five times.

The adventurer has completed the Uganda marathon five times (Image: Steve Hill)

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While he said there is no Ugandan marathon to run in this year, he hopes to get involved in a number of new charity projects in the district of Masaka and hand out old running trainers, sports kits and stationery for the children and young people at the schools he will be visiting. 

Last year, he organized a sports day for the students and visited the Smile orphanage and the medical centre with plans to build an extension to the clinic.

The students in Uganda will also receive letters from Steve's class this year (Image: Steve Hill)

Steve said: "I'll be trying to help in any way that I can to make the Uganda marathon a possibility again next year.

"Whilst in Uganda, I will be visiting the projects that the Team Hill Charitable Trust have been supporting.

"I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the boy's dormitory that we have funded and is now being used.

"The girl's dormitory was also completed early last year."

The adventurer said the children in his class at school have also been writing letters to the pupils in Uganda which he plans on taking with him in hopes the students will become penpals. 

He hopes to see a new boy's dormitory in the school on Kalangala Island (Image: Steve Hill)

Meanwhile, running and sports equipment can be dropped off at St Joseph's school.

Since sparking the charity in 2019, Steve has embarked on a series of fundraising adventures, challenges and ultra-marathons, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc, the Sahara Desert and through the jungles of Borneo and many more.

He has also supported many local projects in Oldham and Manchester - the most recent being a fundraiser for a young father in Oldham who is battling a terminal cancer diagnosis and requires funds for private treatment.

In recognition of his charitable efforts, Steve even met the late Queen Elizabeth II and "made her laugh" in a heart-warming moment captured on video when he received his MBE at Buckingham Palace.

Sports equipment for the youngsters can be dropped off at St Joseph's school in Shaw (Image: Steve Hill)

Uganda won't be his first or last stop this year either, with plans to complete his biggest challenge yet - a series of 14 marathons over the course of seven days in August.

The mega marathon will see Steve run from coast to coast through the jungles of Costa Rica in central America.

Then, he will fly to Tajikistan via Manchester and do another seven marathons along the Silk Road - all to raise funds for local projects in Oldham as well as the school and medical centre in Uganda.

The deputy head expects to return from Tajikistan on August 31, giving himself just a few days to recover before school returns on September 4.

"I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far.

"Their generosity is greatly appreciated", Steve added. 

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