An interview with Bennett Carr….

 

Written by Sarah El-Tonsy, following an interview with Bennett Carr  

Bennet Carr, headmaster of King Edward VI School in Stratford-upon-Avon, has had a significant career, leading him to touch the lives of many of his students – one being Joseph Harris. Whilst his connection to the charity had been established from knowing Joseph Harris as a boy, the connections he has formed have been endlessly substantial. As both a pillar and a benefactor, Carr has dedicated himself and KES facilities to the charity. Instances of such may include the playing fields for a cricket match and King Edward VI School’s Levi Fox Hall for several events, most recently, a beautiful art show with work meticulously crafted by artist Nathan McAdam Freud. However, the most significant donation by Carr would infinitely be the memorial held for Joseph Harris within the school campus. It is clear to anyone how Carr cares for the people he meets and finds it “natural that [he’d] want to support that.”
  A mutually Ben-eficial relationship! Photos include Ben’s fundraising activities, former pupils and Trustees
It is important to note Carr’s accolades within the charity. As an accomplished runner, Carr’s hobbies were the perfect fit for the Trust’s fundraising techniques. Whilst his running started to maintain fitness post-facto COVID, it has far since evolved to the “really good thinking time” Carr lacks due to living on the King Edward VI School Campus. It has been revealed Carr now runs four times a week, totalling an average of 50km during this time.
 
Though Carr runs for his physical health, he does emphasise the great effects of running on mental health. Whilst it does not secure mental health, it is “good thinking time” alongside several counts of evidence showing running is good for mental health. As a result, running and other such events are used as fundraising means for the Beer-Harris Memorial Trust. This is aided by benefactors like Carr stepping in. Carr has run for the charity on fifteen occasions – including “lots of 10k runs, a few half-marathons, and then [he] ran the Venice marathon in October half-term.”
 
The Venice marathon highlights the relationship between Bennet Carr and the Beer-Harris Memorial Trust so warmly yet succinctly. Carr notes this was his first marathon, yet he received endless support from Miranda and Roy, the heads of the Trust. They came over to Venice to lend Carr their support [with fellow Trustee, Josh Beer]. “It was about just over a mile to go where they stationed themselves to cheer me on. […] I could hear them shouting and they were wearing their Beer-Harris Memorial Trust top, which I was wearing”, Bennet recalled.
 
Carr’s motivation for linking the Trust with King Edward VI School traces back to Joseph, who Carr remembers fondly as someone with a smile that could brighten up a room. Carr has done his best to honour him, with his motivation being simply put as “Joe was a member of the school, and once you’re a member of the school, you’ll always be a member of the school” because “belonging is such an important part of life.” – which is an excellent way to describe the community feel of the Beer-Harris Memorial Trust. The close-knit organisation extends their hand to King Edward VI School and vis versa with the internships offered to Year 12 students, which Bennet Carr proudly supports as a “great idea [that builds character, such as] empathy, kindness, resilience.” Both the Trust and the School leadership share the same values and teach young people how to be the best versions of themselves as possible.
 
Furthermore, Carr supports the charity sector profusely as it is a “hugely important sector in our economy, which does a great deal of good.” Carr concludes as “we are all benefiting from it, we should be doing our part.” Ergo, it is fair to say Carr and the Trust have had and will continue to have an excellent, mutually beneficial relationship.
 
Carr’s current future plans include the London marathon for Meningitis Now, but in October, the Amsterdam marathon for the Beer-Harris Memorial Trust. On behalf of the charity, we all wish him good luck on his journey and would like to say thank you for all that he has done.