Helen Kirk Foundation

International rock supergroup Muse have volunteered to back a new South Devon charity helping local schoolchildren on the road to artistic fame.

The band, who grew up in Teignbridge, are the new patrons of The Helen Foundation, set up in memory of their friend Helen Kirk, 24, from Shaldon, who was killed in a Boxing Day car crash.

Helen's mother Annie said: "The boys in Muse knew Helen well and loved her a lot and this was because of their friendship with her. They had already given a donation to the foundation but they wanted to do more and we were so delighted when they put themselves forward as patrons."

A spokesman for Muse, who are currently in Norway promoting their forthcoming album, said: "Muse are very proud of their Teignbridge roots, and recognise that the area has much artistic talent to be uncovered."

Helen's brother Tom, who works for Muse, said: "The band really wanted to show their backing for what the Helen Foundation represents, because they had a lot of assistance from the Prince's Trust which helped them buy their first musical equipment and get them started when they were still students at Teignmouth Community College."

Within weeks of Helen's tragic death her family and friends had set up the foundation in her memory. Helen was an actor and her family wanted to support any local young people getting started in the arts. The foundation has already raised £12,000, including an anonymous £1,000 donation last week.

At the weekend young people from all over Teignbridge attended free workshops led by top artists who gave their services free of charge at five different schools.

At Coombeshead College, Newton Abbot, Richard Keys, head of art at Parkside School, Cambridge, had young people using wire and Modroc to make sculptures of human forms in movement.

At Dawlish Community College, head of drama Conor Magee and drama teacher Lisa Hudson ran a course teaching acting skills.

London-based actors and workshop-leaders, Sally Jerram and Fenella Hunt, ran a physical theatre workshop at Knowles Hill School, Newton Abbot. In Shaldon School, puppeteer Julia Maclean of Idolrich Theatre had children from Shaldon and Teignmouth working with puppets. And at South Dartmoor Community College, Ashburton, Welsh National Opera-based Claire Lewis and Plymouth drama teacher Kate Johnson worked with students turning music into drama.

Tom said: "The whole day had a fantastic buzz to it - just the kind of thing Helen would have loved when she was younger and that she loved to run herself as a working actor." A cake sale held last week at Canary Wharf in London, where Helen last worked, raised £750.

The next major events are a fund-raising 10K fun run (part of the July 2 Big Run in London) with over 100 runners already signed up to support the foundation, wearing The Helen Foundation T-shirts.

To join the runners contact the website, www.thehelenfoundation.org.uk

The first Helen Foundation Benefit Concert will take place on September 29 in St Peter's Church, Shaldon.