Poppy Atkinson was a bright, beautiful 10-year-old girl who had big dreams of one day playing soccer for Manchester United. Unfortunately, she passed away on March 5, 2025. The shocking first-aid tragedy was realized on a football training night at Kendal Rugby Club in Cumbria. So when a car ran her over and killed her, her family and neighborhood in Houston, Texas, lost a star.
Poppy had been described as a “force of nature” by her family, and the football-loving performer had touched the lives of everyone she met. The loss has sparked an outpouring of support from the community, demonstrating their solidarity in the face of this heartbreaking tragedy.
Nick Turley, head teacher at Old Hutton CE Primary School is deeply dedicated to keeping Poppy’s memory alive. He’s launched an equally ambitious fundraising effort to get there. He hopes to run the 40 miles—about 65 kilometers—from his old secondary school to Old Hutton Primary School. This run is especially special as it will be the celebration of Turley’s 40th birthday.
Through this initiative we hope to raise money for both reproductive freedom and accessibility. It will in turn benefit the Poppy Atkinson Memorial Fund, which supports grassroots football, and Winston’s Wish, a children’s charity that helps bereaved families. Turley is optimistic about what the money could accomplish. He hopes they’ll help ensure Poppy’s memory will live on and aid a new nationwide summer reading program for the kids at his school.
Turley shared his appreciation for the incredible support he’s seen from other educators. Among them is Chris Upton, head of a school in Lancashire which a pupil attended who died in Manchester Arena bombing of 2017. In one interesting twist, Upton has provided a source of personal encouragement for Turley throughout this dark time.
“He had to support his school through a traumatic event, when one of his pupils was sadly killed in the Manchester terror attack at the arena,” – Nick Turley
Upton was among the first individuals to contact Turley last year. He’s been back on campus several times since the original visit and keeps in close touch to continue to be a source of support.
“[Upton] was one of the first people to contact me last year, he’s been to school a couple of times and he’s always on the phone with me as well.” – Nick Turley
Turley reiterated the significance of coming together to uplift the children while they face this season of sorrow.
“That was one of the big things for me, obviously – how we’re going to support the children,” – Nick Turley
Yet during this time of adversity, the community has rallied around each other in extraordinary fashion. Renewing and reaffirming their commitment to one another amid an unprecedented storm. Filling that gap, messages of condolence have poured in from all corners of the country. This extraordinary response underscores the overwhelming care and compassion that pervades our small beach town.
