The national charity RALPHH has made its first grant to help potentially save lives in East Anglia.
Diss High School has extensive sports playing facilities and the introduction of a defibrillator on the edge of the main games area will provide a lifeline to over 900 students plus staff should it ever be needed. Awareness of the need for such facilities has grown since the previous summer, following what happened to the Danish footballer Christian Eriksen.
“Our partnership with RALPHH has been extremely welcome,” said Headteacher Jan Hunt, “and will supplement the care and support we give to our students.”
Established in 2019, the charity has made six such grants in the last 12 months across England. At least a further three defibrillator installations, based on grants are planned in schools or sporting clubs in 2022, as well as the extension of ECG testing for young people prior to their undertaking strenuous sporting exercise.
“We welcome hearing from others who believe they could benefit from the financial support of RALPHH in reducing levels of heart and circulatory problems in a sporting environment,” said RALPHH Chairman, Richard Allen.
Donations to the charity are welcome from general public supporters, who continue to be keen to be backing such a worthwhile cause. The stimulus to the establishment of RALPHH in 2019 was the untimely death of Robert Allen, a former National Schools’ Rowing Champion, with family and friends pledging to try and help others to avoid such an early years’ tragedy. See website www.ra-lphh.org.
Pictured left to right at the official launch of the new installation are: Richard Allen, Chairman of RALPHH; girls’ head of sport Mollie Curson; her male equivalent Adam Parker; and Diss High School Head of Physical Education, Jack Kemp.