,+ 4 I CLITHEROEADVERTISER&TIMES Thursday,JanuaryZ,2014 www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk CUTHEROEADVERnSER&TIMES I


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www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk Thursday,January2,2014


Tributes to community stalwart and remarkable woman who worked with children all her life


By Faiza Afzaal feiza.afzaal@jpress.co.uk y Twitter@clithadvertiser


Tributes have been paid to a well-respected and remark­ able Ribble Valley woman who dedicated a lifetime to helping


others. Miss Moira Edwards Walker, who was a member of the Girl Guides for over 80 years and former Guider-in-Charge of Waddow Hall, passed away at


' Clitheroe Hospital aged 93. Miss Walker was born in


Litherland, but her family relocated to Nottingham dueto herfather’semployment. Miss Walker attended.Manning Grammar School for Girls, where she was head girl in her final year. She had a passion for sports and her career began at Wyggeston Grammar SchoolforGirlswhereshewas the PE teacher. In 1967 the Guide Asso­


ciation asked Miss Walker to take the position of Guider- in-Charge at Waddow Hall, Waddington. This post was intended to be for six months u n t i l someone else was


■ appointed, but Miss Walker was so successful that she stayed for 15 years. Long hours were required to maintain the standards


Miss Walker put in place - rarely finishingworkthesame day as she started. One of her proudest moments was when Princess Margaret officially visited Waddow Hall in 1981. After retirement, Miss


Walker lived within the sight of Waddow Hall and contin­ ued her care and interest in the Guide Association by fulfilling several roles within the Trefoil Guild, originally in Manchester and latterly at Waddow. She was also the county


vice-president of Lancashire EastGirlGuiding.andwiththe knowledge she gained during her working life, in her long retirement she was able to make valued contributions to many societies and commit­ tees. A true community stalwart,


shewasamemberoftheWRVS, the Civic Society, Waddington Women’s Institute, Wadding­ ton Church, St Mary’s Church, Sabden, and a governor at Pendle.Primary School. At Ribblesdale Children’s Centre she served as agovernor for 25 years until ill health forced her toretire..


. : ■ Paying tribute, her neph­ ew Nigel Edwards Walker, said: “Myaunt was the origi- nallron Lady. “Underneath that charm­


ing exterior was a will of pure steel. It was this determina­ tion that carried her through, these last years of illness and it ensured that she remained in her beloved cottage until al­ most the very end." ' “The passing of Moira is


like the end of an era. When she used to come down to Not-. tingham to visit us, our family used to say it was like having a visit from the Queen Mother! “She was a remarkable


woman who helped many people throughout her life. She worked tirelessly whilst running Waddow Hall and she and her dear friend, Des, achieved many successes for the Girl Guide Association - both financially and in mak­ ing the hall a success. “She had a lifetime of love


for all the animals and, since she retired, she had found great joy in feeding the birds outside her kitchen window and watching the varied ani­ mal life on the river bank. “This ‘watching’ included


looking out for any stray fish­ ermen - and woe betide them if they didn’t possess the cor­ rect angling licence.” “Moira was a woman of


great faith, integrity and hon­ esty. - “She will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her.”


Sports mad Tom was a Read village stalwart


Flags flew at half-mast in Readr in memory of lifelong villager TomHadwin. •The popular sports fan,


who lived in Jubilee Street and died at the age of 85, was revered by community members for both his work with Lancashire- County Council for more than 40 years and for his dedication to sports in the village. Exhibiting a passion for -


sport from an early age, Tom played as a centre-forward for ReadFC. •- ••He was desc rib ed by residents as a. man “who always gave ioo%” and was considered to be the heartbeat of sporting life in'the village. : With an enthusiasm for his


greyhounds, which he took to races at Belle Vue, Blackburn, Tom was also well-known in the racing fraternity. ; • His first love, however was


Read Cricket Club, whereTom was known for both his hard work and for rewarding the efforts of others working on - the grounds. .' Treasured by the villagers for the respect he showed


Bishop’s New Year message


As the Bishop of Blackburn I am delighted to take this op­ portunity to wish everyone a


• “Happy New Year” as we enter into 2014. But we all probably mean something different than what we hear those words to say. That everything will go


smoothly and without an up­ set.


Thatwewillavoidillnesses


and bereavements. That we will have enough


■ money coming in to manage


. okay.. That nothing will happen


to throw us off course and make us sad.


Butlifeisnotlikethat.lt


never is and never will be free of difficulty and only for our convenience and comfort. So as I wish you a “Happy


to others, Tom was even bestowed with a Lancashire trophy for his service to sport: and the.community. Hav­


ing first won a competition in Clitheroe, for which his name was put for forward, he'then went on to.scoop :


a certificate in Blackpool and this proudly hangs in the cricket club. He was adored by all the


villagers, including his friends at Read Constitutional Club and the Stork Hotel, as well as by his grandchildren, ::. •


New Year”, I mean something more... that we shall nothope for what we want and desire, but be eager to know and do the will of God in our lives, to fulfil His purpose for us, whatever that may be. ' ForitisinputtingHimand


His Word at the centre of our lives, that we will find peace


’ and joy and happiness. The words of the famous


hymn puts it very starkly: - Father heartheprayerwe


wins grassroots cash from


Ribble Valley-based commu­ nity group the Gazegill Educa­ tion Project is celebrating after discovering it is one of Skipton Building Society’s Big 160awardwinners.


-The project, based at Gazegill Organics in Rimington, has won a £500 grant from the building society, awarded as part of its 160th birthday cel­ ebrations. ■ To mark the special anni­


versary the building society decided to give away 160 cash prizes of £500 to good caus­ es nationwide, first seeking nominations and then ask­ ing the public to vote for their favourites online. The Gazegill project, to­


gether with the other win­ ners in the Grassroots Giving initiative, beat off tough com­


petition from more than 1,000 applicants across the country. The Gazegill Education


Project provides education and employment skills to schools and adults with learn­ ing difficulties in the commu­ nity. The group’s volunteers offer workplace experience and training at the Riming­ ton farm. Members develop essential life and employa­ bility skills through working there. Currently, the group is hop­


ing to begin a new project, al­ lowing school children to visit the farm and take part in the training.


Ian O’Reilly, of Gazegill Or­


ganics, said: “The local com­ munity would benefit from schools in a wide catchment beinggiven the opportunity to visit the project and farm, free of charge, and a number of in­


■ ■ r a c i s t


s k,i, ~


;


Rimington farm will put £500 grant to good use


dividuals would benefit from learning the life skills under our care farm umbrella. This funding has come at a really excellent time, givinjg us the opportunity to do this.” David Cutter, Skipton’s


group chief executive said: “Everyone at Skipton Building S o c ie ty has tho rou ghly e n jo y e d ru n n in g th is programme, w h ich has brought out o f the wood­ work so many hard work­ ing local community groups, which we would never oth­ erwise have known of. It is the se kind o f groups that make communities and neighbourhoods stronger, and we’re delighted to have been able to showcase some of the unsung heroes across the UK whoare really goingtheex- tra mile to make life better for everyone.”


A New Year message from the Mayor of Ribble Valley


The Mayoress and I arejirst over half-way through our 12- month term. It has been an interesting,


. quite demanding, time with events as diverse as a fun visit to Scare Kingdom to the very formal consecration of the new Bishop of Blackburn at York Minster. In between those extremes we fulfilled some 120 engage-


J ments, including signing the Armed Forces Covenant for the borough, launching the Health and Wellbeing Year


- and even going over the border to Yorkshire Day at Skipton, ■ where the borough’s unique design of chain and mace caused much interest. We visited one bright-as-


a-button lady on her 100th birthday and another who is 105. / It is remarkable to think


Rt Rev. Julian Henderson, The Bishop of Blackburn


offer; notfor ease thatprayer shallbe, But for strength that we


may ever, live our lives cou­ rageously.


Notfor ever in greenpas-


turesdoweaskourwaytobe; But the steep and rugged


RTREV.JUUANHENDERSON, • BISHOPOFBLACKBURN


pathway may we tread re­ joicingly.


, ^


when I wish you a “Happy New Year”.


And that is what I mean '


thatthey were born before the start of the First World War - in 2014 we will be commemo­ rating the 100th anniversary of that cataclysmic event. Unfortunately, it does not


appear to have taught the world many lessons - armed conflict carries on and our own service people are still among the casualties. Every engagement has been eniovable and sives us


Members of staff at Skipton Building Society’s headquarters in the Dales market town promoting its Grassroots Giving campaign to mark the society's 160th anniversary.


The Mayor of Ribble Valley, Couii Richard Sherras, and the Mayoress, Mrs Lynne Pate.


reason to be thankful that so many people continue to work hard to improve the commu­ nity for everyone’s benefit. We look forward to the con- tinuine honour of meeting


so many such interesting and welcoming people during the rest o f our term of office. May we w ish everyone


in the Ribble Valley a happy, healthvand nrosDerous 2014.


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