Middle Nene Sailing Club of Meadow Lane, Thrapston, Northants NN14 4QL has become the first sailing club in the country to benefit from a grant from the national charity RALPHH for the purpose of acquiring and installing a defibrillator at its clubhouse. The Club has its own lake; is adjacent to the River Nene and on a popular route for fishermen, cyclists and walkers.
Agreed in December, the new equipment in its secure and weatherproof case was unveiled at a short event on Friday 3rd March. Attending the occasion was Commodore of the Club, Tony Wright and Richard Allen, Chairman of RALPHH. Other members of the Club’s committee were also present.
Middle Nene is one of the foremost sailing clubs in the country and the example shown by this installation is hoped to encourage other clubs of similar scale to follow this national first. The Club was established 75 years ago and has proved to be an excellent training ground for those going forward to success in international competitions. There are just under 300 members.
The charity RALPHH was established in August 2019, to commemorate the life of Robert Allen, who was a National Schools’ Champion rower. He died unexpectedly of a heart attack and friends and family decided to form the charity in his memory. Since then, RALPHH has been making grants to rowing clubs, stretching as far apart as Sidmouth in Devon to Diss in Norfolk and the City of Chester. However, the intention of the trustees was always to assist all sport clubs (and especially those favoured by young people) to have proper, accessible defibrillator cover in case of the unexpected.
It is hoped this development will encourage other sailing clubs to follow the Middle Nene example by contacting RALPHH via email at richardallen52@btinternet.com
