Matthew Burton, better known as the beloved English teacher on Channel 4’s Educating Yorkshire documentary, has opened up about the “unbearable” pain of losing a child ahead of taking on the Manchester Marathon this weekend.
Burton first appeared on our screens in 2013, and it wasn’t long before a clip of him helping pupil Musharaf overcome a stammer went viral worldwide. Now, he is swapping out his textbooks for trainers as he takes on the 26.2-mile race for charity.
On Christmas Eve in 2012, Burton and his wife, Laura, lost their first baby to miscarriage. Burton said: “Words can’t ever really describe the feeling of being told you have lost your baby. To go from expecting to welcome a tiny human being to knowing that wasn’t going to happen in a matter of seconds was just unbearable.
“Miscarriage is so common, but it still isn’t spoken about as much as it should be – there’s still a taboo that surrounds it.”
Burton has since become an ambassador for the Miscarriage Association and works to raise awareness and funds so it can support people going through pregnancy loss.
His previous challenges for the charity have included the Yorkshire Marathon and the Leeds 10k race – and he has appeared on-screen on The Celebrity Chase, which he won.
Discussing his newest challenge, which he will be tackling on Sunday, April 27th, Burton said: “I’ve been putting in the training on some dark and damp evenings, so since the clocks went forward it’s been nice to get out in the sun and light! I’m now strangely looking forward to it – but maybe ask me again after 26 miles.”
The Manchester Marathon is the UK’s second-biggest marathon event – after the London race which is held on the same day. This year, 90,000 people are expected to take part in the two events, making it the biggest day of marathon running in UK history.
Burton said that although the moment of loss he and his wife experience will “never go away”, it taught him a few things. “Firstly, to talk about it. It helped. Those who knew about it thought they couldn’t say the right things, I’m sure, but every supportive word helps,” he explained.
He now has three children and works tirelessly to raise awareness of the importance of recognising the impact of experiencing loss – especially for men who sometimes can be overlooked. Burton added: “The Miscarriage Association works hard to support those who need it at this heart-breaking time, advocate for change, and raise awareness of something that damned well needs it.” On his fundraising page, Burton said: “I am running to make a change and make sure that every loss matters.”
Since appearing on Educating Yorkshire, Burton has taken on a new role as headteacher at Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury. He has also travelled the country hosting workshops on leadership and has written a book called Go Big, which aims to help children aged ten and older with the transition from primary to secondary school.
Last year, Channel 4 announced that a second season of Educating Yorkshire. The series will be filmed over 2024 and 2025, it said, and is set to be on our screens by the end of the year.
Burton said he was excited to welcome the camera crews back into the school: “The national challenges the profession faces are well publicised, and at Thornhill, I’m really proud of how our staff and students work together to thrive through those. Our values – ‘work hard and be nice’ – are at the centre of all we do; I have no doubt that viewers will see those come to life in our brilliant community.”
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