HRH The Princess Royal visited Gordonstoun today to officially open a new coastguard centre.
Senior students will now be able to respond to emergency calls 24/7 following the launch of the purpose-built facility situated on the Gordonstoun campus, around a mile from the shoreline.
From September, they will support HM Coastguard North East on the frontline by responding to missing person and rescue searches on land, along the Moray coast.
Gordonstoun is the only school in the world to have its own Coastguard Centre, first established soon after its opening in 1934. The Gordonstoun Coastguard Operational Support Team is one of nine rescue and community services at Gordonstoun, through which every senior student is involved in active service to the local community.
The Princess Royal – who holds the role of ‘Warden’ at Gordonstoun – unveiled a plaque naming the new centre, ‘The Winthrop-Young Gordonstoun Coastguard Centre, in memory of a family intrinsically linked with Gordonstoun since it was founded.
It replaces the previous ‘watchtower’ building opened in 1955 by Prince Philip, later used by HM King Charles when he was a member of the coastguard service during his time as a student at Gordonstoun.
The new centre was funded thanks to the support of Antonios Mikellides and family, long-term supporters of the School, who generously donated around £600,000.
HRH The Princess Royal met students inside the centre, simulating a response to a search and rescue incident during the visit. Earlier, The Princess Royal was given a tour of the Prep School and was introduced to the Prep guardians before observing a music lesson.
The Princess Royal was later given a demonstration from some of the other services, including First Aid, followed by a performance of Highland Dancing.
Gordonstoun Principal Peter Green said: “The new Coastguard Centre is a wonderful facility fully equipped to allow students to support HM Coastguard during Search and Rescue incidents when required.
“We are grateful for the generosity of the Mikellides family in funding the centre, which supports Gordonstoun’s commitment to providing service to communities.
“Gordonstoun founder Kurt Hahn, one of education’s greatest innovators, said ‘we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give’.
“Like him, I firmly believe that students need to encounter ‘compassion’ during the daily cycle of school life underpinned by our Service to the community, where every senior student takes part in one of Gordonstoun’s nine community and rescue services.
“Those in the Coastguard Team are fully trained to help with search and rescue emergency incidents, which a great example of how students at Gordonstoun are challenged to take part in activities outwith their comfort zone.
“Geoffrey Winthrop-Young, a mountaineer and educator, was instrumental in establishing Gordonstoun and later responsible for its renowned ‘character education, leading to The Outward Bound Movement and the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The enduring influence of his family is embedded in the fabric of the school today.
“It is fitting that HM The Princess Royal opened the new Coastguard Centre today, which will support a service that Prince Philip and HM The King had fond memories of being involved with. Her duty to service is a great example to all our students at Gordonstoun on how important it is to give something back and support communities.”
There are currently 21 senior Gordonstoun students – 11 active and 10 training – supporting HM Coastguard. From September, they will be the first cadet corps in the UK to attend live Search and Rescue call-outs.
The new centre, which will ensure students have the latest equipment and facilities for improved planning and coordination, will also be used to support other areas of Gordonstoun’s co-curriculum.
It is a major upgrade compared with the watchtower building opened in 1955 by Prince Philip. The then Prince Charles recalled in his first TV broadcast in 1977 how, as a teenager, he found it “extraordinarily exciting and rewarding” to be involved in the coastguard unit at Gordonstoun.
Richard Cavaye, Station Officer of the Gordonstoun Coastguard Operational Support Team, added: “The Coastguard Centre has been fully fitted out with an interactive briefing room, hi-tech screen and maps. There is also a changing area with hard hats, boiler suits, hi-vis jackets, ropes and torches, providing the students with everything they need to respond to emergency incidents at a moment’s notice.
“From September, Gordonstoun will appear as an active coastguard centre live on HM Coastguard’s system. The students will be equipped with emergency pagers and take it in turns to be on-call, ready to respond when an emergency call comes in.
“This is what the students have been training towards, to be on the frontline for these types of real-life incidents. We are delighted to have this new Coastguard centre, which will enable us to provide a more comprehensive service to the local community.”
Assistant Chief Coastguard David Sharp said: “It’s been a pleasure to join others to celebrate Gordonstoun’s new Coastguard Centre, opened today by HRH The Princess Royal. This new building provides students with access to equipment and facilities designed to support HM Coastguard’s Coastguard Rescue Service in Moray.”
Antonios Mikellides said: “Gordonstoun’s education extends beyond academic excellence and physical endeavour – it’s anchored in service to others. This pillar quietly shapes the soul and strengthens communities. It forms the heartbeat of leadership, building character not through comfort, but through contribution.
“It is an honour therefore, for my family and me to be a part of this lasting legacy, and to celebrate a tradition of service that continues to inspire future generations.”
Dr. Geoffrey Winthrop-Young said: “We are delighted that Gordonstoun has chosen to honour the memory of our father and grandfather by naming the new Coastguard Centre after them.
“Our grandfather was closely involved in the development of Services at Gordonstoun; our father, in turn, was an avid sailor during his Gordonstoun days and was fortunate to acquire many skills that prepared him for his wartime duties in the Royal Navy.
“They would have seen the Coastguard Centre as a combination of the emphasis on service and the spirit of adventure Gordonstoun stands for and would have been truly proud to be associated with it.”
Categories: Gordonstoun School News
