RALPHH CHAIRMAN’S REPORT ON THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2023/24
The financial year has been one of considerable achievement for the RALPHH charity. All targets in our business plan were surpassed and there are encouraging signs that 2024/25 will carry forward this momentum.
RALPHH helped make possible the installation or availability of valuable defibrillation equipment in 13 different locations. These included the first hockey and rugby clubs to work with the charity as well as with the organisers of an all-ages Fun Run. The spread across England has again been considerable, with partnerships in East Anglia, the North East as well as stretching to the Isle of Wight. These have taken one of two forms. We have been able to donate pre-owned but unused defibrillators to those who meet the criteria of both need and commitment to keep such equipment in good, workable condition. The second approach continues RALPHH’s long-standing strategy of providing grants for equipment that are displayed and maintained in outdoor locations, contained within weatherproof and vandal proof containers.
Once again, our partnership with British Rowing led to RALPHH sponsorship of cardiac and circulatory testing for those being considered for inclusion as part of the GB Rowing Squad. This took place at the National Watersports Centre, near Nottingham in March. RALPHH is keen to create further such partnerships in other sports but costs through existing channels make this difficult.
In December the charity relaunched its website, which now makes it easier to research where and how RALPHH has helped sporting clubs and schools since its formal instigation in August 2019. Part of this work remains devoted to information advising how an individual can step back in a managed way from competitive sport, limiting the prospect of causing harm in the process. We believe that this continues to be well-used and respected and part of the plan for the next financial year is to complete a review and update of stated best practice.
Our fund-raising activities were greatly assisted by a donation from the IT software company VMware and from the efforts of many others that included a floral and vegetable event; a quiz night at a rowing school; and general donations from those supportive of RALPHH aims and in memory of Robert Allen, whose early death inspired the formation of the charity.
Whilst working hard to keep the expenses of the organisation as low as possible, our target for this was marginally exceeded, not least because our activity and impact levels well exceeded those contained in our original business plan.
In looking to the programme for 24/25, a key element will be increasing the distribution of the preowned defibrillators, ensuring that each of these have a good life span before needing any maintenance cost for the recipients. We believe that uptake on this will be stimulated by a recent mailing to affiliated British Rowing clubs as well as new links forged with Hockey Wales. We also look to provide more help to schools and universities. A Government decision to provide a defibrillator in every state school is to be applaud, but the issue remains that in many larger schools with playing facilities this is insufficient. A school office or central place within school buildings will often be too far in distance for effective use at somewhere like a sports or watersports area. We would therefore like to see more schools – such as Diss High School and Chester’s Queen’s Park High School in the past – work with RALPHH to address this shortcoming, and safeguard more lives.
It remains a difficult time for calling upon the generosity of the public is support of so many good causes. RALPHH realizes this situation and is therefore tailoring its plans for the following year to the expectation that fund-raising will be no better or easier than in 2023/24.
The Trustees believe that RALPHH continues to perform a highly valid charitable purpose and will continue to do so for many years to come.
Our thanks are due to: VMware; Kingston Grammar School (including the Sherrif Club); and facilities management companies
This map shows at the start of June 2024 the sporting locations where RALPHH has either gifted defibrillation equipment or provided grants to make this possible.
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