The Portal is saddened to hear of the passing of Megan Bennett, MBE on Wednesday, 14th September 2022.  She passed away peacefully in her sleep.  We offer our condolences to her family and friends.

Megan moved to Ledbury in 1978, initially to become an industrial nurse covering the whole Dowty site near Staverton Airport.  She soon became very prominent in the voluntary sector.  Megan was instrumental in forming Community Voluntary Action Ledbury and District (CVALD), and later worked with Age Concern Hereford (now Age UK Hereford).

Megan was awarded the MBE in the 2008 Birthday Honours ‘for services to the Voluntary Sector in Herefordshire and Worcestershire’.

The photo to the right was taken at her 90th birthday party in 2017.

Among her many achievements that benefitted Ledbury were:

• Setting up and co-ordinating Ring and Ride (which comprises volunteer drivers who take those who don't have their own transport to hospital appointments, etc);
• Spearheading a campaign in 1988 to prevent Oatleys Meadow becoming a housing estate;
• Organising resistance to opposition in 1997 for the then muddy footpath becoming the Town Trail, which opened it to pedestrians, cyclists, mobility scooters and wheechair users.

After a severe bout of 'flu in 2019, she moved to live with her daughter near Northampton, and later to a nursing home in the town.  Her funeral will take place on Thursday, 13th October 2022 at a family ceremony, followed by a memorial service in Yelvertoft Independent Chapel, NN6 6LQ at 2pm.  Dress code: colourful!  Family flowers only; donations to Hereford Voluntary Organisations Support Services (HVOSS).

A fuller obituary will appear here in due course.

Ledbury doesn’t know how much it owes to Megan Bennett.