A historic link between Kingston Grammar School and another school in the North Devon village of West Buckland has led to a grant being made to help improve the precautionary safety of students at the residential West Buckland School, near Barnstaple.
Alan Firth – both a RALPHH supporter and a former Kingston student in the 1960’s – had kept in touch with one of his masters, Berwick Coates, who in more recent times had moved near to West Buckland and had become both a respected author and the archivist of West Buckland School. On being alerted to this link, RALPHH Chairman Richard Allen made contact with the school in the summer, with the result being a grant made by the national charity to improve the availability of a defibrillator on what is a very large site, well used for different sports.
The charity takes its name (Robert Allen Life Promotion and Healthy Hearts Trust) from another former student and senior prefect of Kingston Grammar School, who died unexpectedly from heart failure in the summer of 2018.
Marking the installation of the new equipment is Richard Allen (left) with Mike Newby MBE, Assistant Bursar at West Buckland School. This is now the third defibrillator installation in Devon made possible with the help of a significant RALPHH grant, the others being at Honiton and Sidmouth.
“We are keen to help both schools and sports clubs where young people may be involved in strenuous exercise, “said Richard Allen. “Although we were only established in the summer of 2019, I am really pleased that people in Devon have recognised the value of our work, either through alerting us to areas where we might help as well as making donations via our website.”