Mark Bushby was a real character. An extroverted Northerner with a wicked sense of humour and a real desire to put 110% into everything he believed in, he touched the lives of many. He was born to be a teacher, and he made a positive difference to the teenage years of so many young people. He began his career in education as a music teacher in London and quickly developed his skills in pastoral care, occupying head of year, boarding houseparent and deputy head pastoral roles among others before he was appointed as Head of a local prep school. In every position he held, Mark unfailingly put his pupils' emotional wellbeing at the centre of everything. His door was always open and he was never too busy for a chat. He guided pupils through their challenging times and celebrated their achievements. At home, he was a valued friend to so many, and a wonderful husband and father to his wife and two young daughters. 

Mark was an avid sports fan- one of those rare Manchester United fans who actually hailed from Manchester, as he liked to point out-  as well as a frequent participant in various sports and challenges. He ran 10k with Paralympic athlete Richard Whitehead and joined a friend on a fundraising ultra marathon. Over the years, exercise was a real safe haven for Mark when he was going through difficult or stressful times.

Combining his focus on pupil wellbeing with this interest in physical activity led Mark to Neil at Sport in Mind. As a mental health advocate, and recognising the amazing work that the charity was doing with adults, Mark had come up with a plan to introduce some sessions for the children at his school. Tragically he passed away before the project came to fruition. After his death, the family raised almost £6000 for Sport in Mind which has since been invested in piloting youth projects as well as workshops and events in local schools. We know that Mark would be incredibly proud of having played a part in building this legacy

Hundreds of children have been supported through the money raised for Sport in Mind through the Mark Bushby legacy, but this is just the start as the next generation of Bushby's are driving this forward. With Mark's inspirational daughters, Lucy and Sophia, and wife Julia leading the way to help transform the lives and mental health of children and young people. 

Lucy and Sophia have been supporting Sport in Mind brilliantly recently and we know Mark would have been so proud. Sophia delivered an amazing assembly to primary school children about Sport in Mind, mental health and sport, and Lucy has got some excited things planned this year along with her mum and sister.

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