STUDENTS at schools in Herefordshire have been kick-boxing their way to health, with a little help from the Kingspan Insulation Community Trust.

Youngsters aged eight and upwards have been jabbing, sweeping and side-kicking to fitness with martial arts and personal safety coach Glenn Parry, who has been teaching combat and fitness skills for a decade and recently opened his own school in Leominster.

“Martial arts is able to make a connection with children,” said Glenn. “Even those who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

“At the moment, there is little funding around for extracurricular school sports activities, especially when commissioning work from outside professionals. So, when I learned about the Kingspan Trust, I thought it would be an ideal opportunity to try and get funding for the schools that I had worked with in the past. Naturally we – the schools and myself – were delighted with the grant.”

St Michael’s C of E Primary School was one of seven schools to benefit from an award totalling over £4,000. Its share of the grant allowed Glenn to provide 6 hours of classes for mixed groups of pupils.

The other participating schools are: Earl Mortimer College and Shobdon, Leominster, Tenbury, Orleton and Leintwardine Primary Schools.

The Kingspan Insulation Community Trust was set up in 2006 as a way of bringing funding into the heart of the communities that surround its UK manufacturing facilities. It covers the catchment areas of Kington’s Lady Hawkins’ School, Wigmore High School, Leominster’s Earl Mortimer Coillege and Tenbury High School; and the Parish of Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire.

The trust is interested in supporting conservation and environmental improvement projects and those promoting health and road safety for children. Proposals that arise from a local parish plan are particularly favoured as the trust likes to complement the work of parish councils.

Full details are available on the Kingspan Insulation Community Trust website (kingspaninsulationcom munitytrust.org), where application is completed via a simple form.