A top London security firm boss, whose bodyguards protect the rich and famous, has stepped in to support the Northumberland primary school which set him on the road to success.
A former Major in the British Army Reserve, Bob Morrison, owner of Mayfair-based Sec-Tech, now provides close protection for VIPs from the UK and abroad and advises on personal and corporate security.
Sponsoring breakfast
But over the years he has also kept a watchful eye on his former school, Lynemouth Country Primary School, now named Bishop’s Primary School-William Leech Campus, which operates as part of Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust (NCEAT).
And, when he learned it had applied to the Greggs Foundation Breakfast Club, which provides a nutritious pre-school breakfast for primary pupils, he stepped in to help, providing two years’ worth of sponsorship.
Bob, whose father Jim Morrison ran the Post Office at 47 Albion Terrace from 1958 until 1987, attended Lynemouth County Primary School from 1963-69 before moving, at age 10, to King Edward VI Grammar School, Morpeth.
Taking initiative
He said, “I received a great education at Lynemouth CP School and it has served me well throughout my life. It’s helped me achieve many things: 22 years with the Territorial Army in the Parachute Regiment and the Royal Logistics Corps, a commission at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and even an Honours Degree in International Business Studies with French and German for which I am eternally grateful.”
The opportunity to sponsor the Breakfast Club at my old school is simply a wonderful way to say thank you"
“For me, the opportunity to sponsor the Breakfast Club at my old school is simply a wonderful way to say thank you and it was also a pleasure to work with the Greggs Foundation, which made the whole process really easy.”
“I know that there are other schools that could benefit, and I really hope more businesses will get on board and support this fantastic initiative.”
Importance of breakfast
Amy Thompson, Head of Campus at Bishop's Primary School - William Leech Campus, added, "We have been completely blown away by Bob's generosity toward our school. As the cost of living has gone up recently, as COVID-19 has seen more and more people go without a full-time regular income, many of our families have found it increasingly difficult to fund their children’s place at breakfast club.”
"Breakfast is such an important meal for kick-starting children's metabolism and making sure that they're properly 'awake', so being able to ensure that all of our pupils have eaten well before they begin their lessons each day is fantastic. It improves their attention span and their levels of concentration and also their overall behaviour in the classroom.”
"On behalf of all of the staff and pupils, I'd like to extend a huge thank you to Bob and his team at Sec-Tech, as well as the team at the Greggs Foundation, for helping to make this possible."
Collaborative efforts
Lynne Hindmarch, Greggs Foundation, Breakfast Club Manager, said the company currently supports 620 breakfast clubs nationally. “The need is even greater due to COVID-19 as families who have always just about managed now find themselves in difficult circumstances asking for help for the first time,” she said.
“As part of Greggs Pledge, we hope to have 680 schools open by the end of 2021. We cannot do this alone and by working collaboratively with 106 wonderful partners such as Sec-Tech, we are able to support 40,000 children each school day access a FREE nutritional breakfast that otherwise might go without.”
