Playology Beach School's walk in honour of Sunderland dad Richie Jordan raises hundreds for road safety charity Brake

Families united by the seaside to raise money in memory of a Sunderland dad who lost his life in a crash on the A19.
Debra Fox
By Debra Fox
Published 3rd Jul 2022, 13:30 BST
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Children from Playology Beach School & Learning Studio, in Seaham, put their best feet forward for a sponsored walk in aid of Brake, the Road Safety Charity – a cause especially close to one family’s heart.

Dad-of-two Richie Jordan was 33 when he died in a collision on the A19 at Houghton in August 2019.

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Almost three years on, his partner Carol King is continuing to campaign for change to support other families with their own tragic losses on the country’s roads.

Families took part in the sponsored walk on Sunday, June 26. Picture: Playology.Families took part in the sponsored walk on Sunday, June 26. Picture: Playology.
Families took part in the sponsored walk on Sunday, June 26. Picture: Playology.

The couple’s eldest daughter Quinn, four, started with Playology in September 2020. And the pre-school’s joint effort for Brake on Sunday, June 26 raised an incredible £852.

Hannah Atkinson, Playology’s managing director, said around 70 people took part in the school’s sponsored walk, which is held every year in aid of a different good cause.

She told the Echo: “The day was fantastic from start to finish.

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"It was so lovely to see all of the families coming together to support a great cause – it was really special.”

Richie and Carol's daughters, Quinn and Gray, were among those taking part in the charity effort. Picture: Playology.Richie and Carol's daughters, Quinn and Gray, were among those taking part in the charity effort. Picture: Playology.
Richie and Carol's daughters, Quinn and Gray, were among those taking part in the charity effort. Picture: Playology.
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As an open-air school, road and other outdoor safety is an important part of children’s learning at Playology.

Brake launched in 1995 to support families bereaved – or those injured – by serious collisions and campaigns to make local communities and streets safer for everyone.

Its annual Road Safety Week initiative is the UK’s biggest event of its kind. It will next take place between November 14 and 20 this year.

A round of applause for all those who helped raise the fantastic total of £852.A round of applause for all those who helped raise the fantastic total of £852.
A round of applause for all those who helped raise the fantastic total of £852.
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Carol, also mum to two-year-old Gray, added: “Children's emotional well-being is at the forefront of Playology and the care they have taken to support Quinn is something me and my family will never forget.

"It was truly something special to see Quinn's fellow beach-schoolers and their families come together for a cause so close to our hearts.”

Playology launched as a beach school in 2019, before becoming an Ofsted-registered outdoor pre-school in 2020. It’s the UK’s first registered beach school.

Based at Seaham Marina, it caters for children aged between two and five. This summer, Hannah and the team will host “fresh air clubs” both at the marina and Souter Lighthouse.

Visit the Playology website here for more.

Related topics:A19Sunderland