My name is Emily Yap, and I am an Old Tauntonian. I attended TS from 2003 to 2018 and am currently in my Masters year at Cardiff University, studying Mechanical Engineering.

As many of you know, OT Barnaby Webber was brutally murdered on June 13, 2023, while celebrating the end of his first year at Nottingham University, just one year after leaving school. Barney was my brother Thomas Yap’s closest friend during their time at school. I’ve known Barney since he was 2 years old, and he was like a second younger brother to me. He was the type of person who fit into any sort of scenario, any crowd of people, and made life for those around him happier and more positive. He had a kindness in his face that made him approachable and a heart that went along with this. He fit into any group of people, including the boisterous rugby first team, the quiet individuals who would normally hang out at the back, and everyone in between. He lived by the motto of “if he liked you, he liked you” and didn’t care about anyone’s background, colour, or reputation.

He was once a young boy here at TS, sitting in assembly, through registration, into classes he liked and disliked. He thought about who and what he would be when he was older (and what was for lunch, of course). He also sat there listening to career talks and guest speakers, wondering what that future would look like for him. But that was taken away from him and his loved ones through no mistake of his own. Barney’s younger brother is still a student here at TS. The events of last summer shocked not just his close friends and family but the wider country. The randomness and brutality of the attack are something that I have struggled to understand.

Barnaby’s parents have set up a foundation in his name to carry on his legacy and do the work he was destined to do. The official “Barnaby Webber Foundation” is in the process of being created, and funds will be used to further all the qualities listed above and to keep his memory alive while reaching out to others. The foundation will have two main purposes: Firstly, to provide support and inclusion for young people aged 18 and under who are facing life challenges (be it physical, mental, emotional, or social). This may be through other charities, schools, or organizations but can also be directly to an individual or family. Secondly, the foundation will support grassroots cricket clubs through the provision of essential equipment and items needed to encourage young boys and girls (aged 18 and under) to get involved in playing cricket.

In Barney’s memory and to try to make sense of his death, I decided that I wanted to do something that I would never have done before, to give me some purpose during this tumultuous time and raise money for the foundation. At the start, I was so angry and didn’t know how to process this sort of grief. The past can’t be changed, and nothing I say or do will bring Barney back, so I needed to put my energy into the things that I can change and can make a difference with. I was always sporty at school and imagined that at some point in my life, I would run a marathon (even though I hated running!). I decided to enter a 100km ultramarathon. On the day that I entered “Race to the Stones,” I could not run 5km without having to stop, and I had 36 weeks to train for the race on July 13th, 2024. I am now 16 weeks into my training and can comfortably run a half marathon (at a very slow pace). An endurance running coach, Kelvin Horner, has donated 6 months of training to the cause to help me prepare for race day and give me the highest chances of completing the race, which has already made a huge difference to my performance. Through my running, I want to remember Barney for who he was and not what happened to him, to spread the word of the foundation, and raise money for such an important cause.

Please follow the link to my GoFundMe below if you would like to donate and support my fundraising for Barney’s foundation – I’m currently just £20 from my goal!

https://gofund.me/82a74f3a