In 2021-2, we launched Arm in Arm, a campaign to support parapleigic Rob Butt (B 86). This is his story….
A community comes together
In 2018, OH Rob Butt (B 86) was paralysed from the neck down following a freak accident whilst on holiday.
In 2021-22, a major fundraising campaign, Arm in Arm, was organsied to buy Rob a bionic arm and provide him and his family with ongoing support.
Through the generosity of its members, The Haileybury Society raised over £50,000 in order to achieve the aims of the campaign.
A further £20,000 was raised for London homeless charity Restart Lives.
About Rob Butt
Rob Butt (B 86) is a Haileyburian. Robin Bishop, his housemaster in Batten, says that Rob gave of his best in all he did, was popular and well-liked by both housemates and staff.
Haileybury and beyond
At Haileybury, Rob represented the 1st Shooting and Fencing teams, played for the LX and captained 3rd XI Hockey, as well as playing for many house teams. He was also a keen member of the CCF and no slouch in the classroom.
After taking a History degree, he was commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery. On leaving the Army he became a schoolmaster and, at the time of his accident, was Head of Humanities at Downside. He was also in charge of the Army Section of the CCF, a qualified Hockey umpire and led Downside’s Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.?
Life-changing accident
In April 2018 he was on holiday in Malta with his wife and three children. Whilst on the upper deck of a bus, the driver took the wrong route leading to the top deck being sliced off by a tree branch.
This resulted in several deaths and severe injury to a number of passengers, including Rob, who was paralysed from the neck down.
Despite this, in the words of Rob Newcombe (B 85), a life-long friend from Batten, “Rob remains the most positive person I know”.
The Arm in Arm challenge
The campaign’s aim was to purchase this special bionic arm for Rob and to provide his family with ongoing support. The arm alone costs £50,000.
The arm will help Rob perform simple tasks which he cannot currently do for himself, including raising a glass to his lips.
What our members did
Haileybury Society members responded to this challenge with enthusiasm. Over £17,000 was donated via our member newsletter alone while we also received some signficant donations from donors who wished to remain anonymous.
Other members of the Society generously donated lots for our charity auction which generated further funds at a special Sports Dinner in London, featuring a number of well known OHs from the field of sport.
In total, over £50,000 was raised through the generosity of members and a further £20,000 was raised for the London homeless charity, Restart Lives.
Members on a mission – the London Sleepout
A number of Members, as well as a group formed of current staff and girls from Allenby, took part in a sleep out in London, which not only raised money for Arm in Arm but also generated a further £20,000 for the London homeless charity, Restart Lives.
Those who slept out were: Julian Alliott (current staff); Robin Bishop (HM Batten 1988-98), the late Chris Briggs (former Chaplain, 2000-19); Kathy Butt (wife of Rob Butt (B 86)); Giles Butt (son of Rob Butt); Elizabeth Carter-Shaw (Aby 84); Tristan Cresswell (LS & Th 07); Nicky Dawson (HM Allenby); Stuart Feast (E 78); Chris Fitzgerald (B 85); Suse Flint-Cahan (Alb 93); William Flint-Cahan (current staff); Jo Gandon (LS & H 00); Nick Gandon (M 69); Tim Haywood (B 87); David Hughes (BF 93) with five colleagues from Bishop’s Stortford College; Peter Johns (current staff); Mark Musson (E 84); Robert Newcombe (B 85), David Pyle (former staff), Jo Thompson (Tr 89); James Walker (H 96); Elizabeth Whittaker (Alb & M 81)
Valiant sleepers – James Walker, Stuart Feast, the late Rev. Chris Briggs and Tristan Creswell 
David Hughes (undertaking his SleepOut at Bishop’s Stortford College) with colleagues 
Haileybury Society Members gather ready for the challenge ahead 
Where have you been? Stuart Feast and Liz Whittaker, catching up after 35 years 
Did I really mean to do this? Of course! Jonathan (Jo) Thompson gets ready for the night ahead.
Rob Butt – “the most positive person I know”
Rob Butt was an active sportsman with strong academics at Haileybury. Studying history at university, he went on to become a teacher and before his accident served as Head of Humanities at Downside, an independent school in Somerset. Despite his accident, one of his oldest friends, Rob Newcombe (B 85), describes him as “the most positive person I know”.
Batten Fencing Winners 1990 – (l-r): Rob Butt (B 86); Rob Newcombe (B 85); Rowland Joyce (LS & B 86) 
A day at Bisley with the OH rifle vets: Rob (in cream jumper) enjoys a day out with fellow shooters. 
Wedding Day at Pirbright: Rob Newcombe (B 85); Simon Butt (B 88); Julian Alliott (current staff); Sarah Alliott; Rob Butt (B 86); Kathy Butt; Georgina Thompson (Aby & Tr 90); Lionel Newcombe (Tr 87); Ellie Smith (Alb & C 89); Jonathan Thompson (Tr 89). 
Rob on his wedding day with Best Man, Jonathan Thompson (Tr 89) 
Rob and his family after his accident. 