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23 Mar 2026
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23 Mar 2026
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Peter Coats and Terry Elliott present the donation cheque from the League of Friends of the Tyrrell Hospital to Emma Ravenscroft, assistant headteacher at Ilfracombe Junior School.
A welcome donation from a local charity has helped to provide vital mental health support for children and parents at an Ilfracombe school.
The League of Friends of the Tyrrell Hospital has donated £1,754 to Ilfracombe Junior School to help pay for a support service provided by Place2Be, a national children’s mental health charity that offers counselling for pupils and parents.
More than 39% of pupils at the school have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) - more than double the national average. Social, emotional and mental health needs are the largest single area, representing 17.2% of pupils at the school.
READ NEXT: Overlooked and left out – fed up Ilfracombe calls for better health services
Emma Ravenscroft, the school’s lead for social, emotional and mental health, said: “Ilfracombe faces some of the highest levels of childhood deprivation in the country and the impact on children’s mental health is clear.
“Place2Be enables us to reach children who might otherwise face long waits for intervention.”
The support provided by school pastoral staff and Place2Be means has helped pupils to thrive and last year, 56 children benefitted from Place2Be’s support, with all parents involved reporting improvements in their children’s difficulties following counselling.
Place2Be has specific staff in the school who work with children, mostly one-to-one, to support them with mental health, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Taking pupils out of the classroom for short periods to help them with behaviour regulation and coping strategies means they can return to class ready to learn again.
Peter Coats of the Tyrrell League of Friends committee said: “As an Ilfracombe charity, our aim is to support healthcare in our town.
“By helping pupils and parents at the Junior School, we can do something positive not just for the present – but also for the future.”
Terry Elliott, LoF official, added: “They are doing a fantastic job at Ilfracombe Junior for their pupils, and the League of Friends is very happy to help fund their partnership with Place2Be.”
READ NEXT: Ilfracombe Academy highlights mental health in week of activities
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