St Joan of Arc’s charity run in aid of Udayan

On Friday 28 March 2025, Edward – Head Boy at St Joan of Arc Catholic School, Rickmansworth ran a loop of the school’s grounds of 6km in length for each of the five lessons during the school day, running a total of 30km. Charlotte – Head Girl who visited Udayan in February 2024 as part of the school’s ninth trip, joined Edward for three of these lessons. Throughout the day they were supported by fellow sixth formers who had free periods and lower school students during their PE lessons.

The funds were raised to support Udayan – a home, school and medical centre for children of leprosy sufferers in Kolkata, which St Joan of Arc has supported since 2004. Students from the school first visited Udayan back in 2005 and twenty years on, a tenth trip visited Udayan back in February. Over the years’ the school has raised thousands of pounds for Udayan and with donations still trickling in the final sum currently stands at over £3,000. The funds will support the health and wellbeing of the 310 children that call Udayan home.

In the same week Udayan celebrated it’s 55th Foundation Day – a day to celebrate the work of its founder – the late Rev James Stevens (OBE) and how Udayan started in 1970 with James spending some time with Mother Teresa. In this conversation he asked “Mother, you work with the poorest of the poor, who is at the very bottom?” and without a moments hesitation she responded “The children of leprosy sufferers, nothing is being done for the children of leprosy sufferers.” That very night he borrowed Mother’s van and headed off into Pilkana Slum and James convinced the parents of the first nine boys and 2 girls to let him take care of them to break the intergenerational cycle of leprosy. 55 years on Udayan has 310 boys and girls in its care helping them to rise above leprosy and break the intergenerational cycle that exists.