Sir, East Grinstead remains synonymous with one of New Zealand's most famous sons, Sir Archibald McIndoe: the father of plastic and reconstructive jaw surgery. A statue commemorating his pioneering work that surgically, psychologically then socially rehabilitated his patients stands at the end of a high street in the town that did not stare at those profoundly disfigured by their injuries.

That was another conflict and today much has been written about the sacrifices made then and those being made now on the frontline of the pandemic. Nevertheless, from McIndoe's time till today, men and women still stand on another frontline. Sgt Matt Ratana of the Metropolitan Police was on that front line and a few weeks short of retirement, following a long and illustrious career, he fell in the line of duty, serving and protecting all of us. He was also the head coach at East Grinstead, mentoring youngsters away from harmful influences guiding them towards their full potentials through rugby.

It was a fitting and poignant tribute that Matt Ratana from New Zealand should receive an air salute with a fly past over East Grinstead. An aircraft trailing an unbroken line of blue smoke flew over the rugby pitches then ascended to draw a white heart in the same blue sky that McIndoe's patients flew, fought and secured our freedoms in all those years ago.

The East Grinstead Rugby Club and Metropolitan Police are establishing foundations perpetuating his legacy of Whanau (pronounced far-now) - the Maori word for: family, health and connection - to guide youngsters, so they don't become lost and to build successful futures using sport in general and rugby in particular. Many youngsters attend at their dentists, requesting gum shields for sport and there are three things we may consider apposite in these circumstances:

  1. 1.

    Family: taking an interest in the young patient, making a note in their dental records of their aspirations and achievements, thus ensuring an approach to care that is holistic

  2. 2.

    Health: providing gum shields at a cost so profit is not a barrier to providing protection

  3. 3.

    Connection: consideration towards making a donation from each gum shield to the Matt Ratana foundation; a small price for that freedom for which the supreme sacrifice was paid (donations@mattratanarugby.foundation).

These are small steps, but they are nonetheless important ones to ask, so that we might follow in the footsteps of two of New Zealand's most revered sons along that high street in East Grinstead.