DEATH ANNOUNCED OF FORMER NORFOLK CHARITY LEADER
The man who led one of Norfolk’s oldest charities for two decades has died, and a service to remember him will take place at Norwich Cathedral later this month.
John Child, who died in April, was director of the Norfolk & Norwich Association for the Blind from 1992 until his retirement in 2012, during which time the charity saw a huge expansion in the support it offers to visually-impaired people across the county.
Mr Child’s 20 years at the helm of the NNAB saw two major developments: the opening of the Bradbury Activity Centre in Norwich by Her Majesty the Queen in 2010 following a £1.3 million fundraising campaign, and the extension of the charity’s residential home, Thomas Tawell House, in 2012.
Mr Child joined the NNAB after a 30-year career in the army. Born in Banham in 1941, he was raised at Cromer and educated at Beeston, Gresham’s, and Norwich City College, and then Bristol University. Joining the regular army in 1962, he saw active service in Aden and the Radfan as a young officer in the Royal Anglian Regiment, followed by a posting to the newly federated Malaysia Police Field Force in Borneo.
His subsequent service saw him take up various regimental appointments, including in Northern Ireland, alongside staff jobs at the Ministry of Defence and with the British Army of the Rhine. In the mid-1980s, he went to Hong Kong and then Nepal with the Brigade of Gurkhas.
He left the army in 1992, settling smoothly back into Norfolk life from his family home in Wood Dalling.
Current NNAB chairman of trustees Kit Cator described Mr Child as “a great inspiration”.
“John was passionate about helping Norfolk’s visually-impaired community to lead a full and independent life,” said Mr Cator. “He was excellent at raising the profile of the NNAB, and expanding the scope of what the organisation was able to offer right across the county.
“He was a charming man, a great inspiration, and someone who encouraged and believed in people, whether visually-impaired people or NNAB staff and volunteers. He was really passionate about his work and the NNAB, and introduced many activities for the visually-impaired community.”
NNAB deputy director Julie Lythgoe, who worked alongside Mr Child throughout his time at the charity, said, “Not only was John a man I looked up to as a boss, but also as a true friend. He kept in touch and visited the NNAB regularly after he retired, and he will be deeply missed by us all.”
Following his retirement from the NNAB in 2012, Mr Child took up a part-time role at Norwich Cathedral where he took great pleasure in introducing visitors from across the world to one of Norfolk’s finest monuments. Always active in his local community, he was, until the end, a trustee of the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum, the Friends of the Norwich Museums, and the Norwich Cathedral Trust.
Mr Child was awarded the MBE for his services to the visually impaired in Norfolk in the 2011 New Year’s Honours List. He leaves behind his wife, Helen, and three children, Tim, Simon, and Beth, as well as ten grandchildren.
A Service of Thanksgiving to mark the life of John Child, to which all are welcome, will be held at Norwich Cathedral at noon on Friday 26th May.