THE man who was the driving force behind £3.7million of fundraising projects at Southend Hospital has died.

Colin George, chairman of the Southend Hospital Charitable Foundation, died peacefully in his sleep yesterday morning at the age of 77.

Mr George, who was also general secretary at Southend Guild of Help and Citizens Advice Bureau from March 5, 1973 to May 23, 2003, died in the hospital he had done so much for after a short illness.

He leaves behind a wife, Pamela, son Stephen and daughter Christine Chisholm.

In a statement, Colin’s son Stephen said: “Southend as a town has lost one of its greatest contributors. He helped thousands of people during his time at the Citizens Advice Bureau and at the hospital.

“He was a great man, giving much to others. He worked tirelessly for those who needed help and gave his life to his beloved Southend. He was a kind, thoughtful and loving husband, dad and grandad and will be sorely missed.”

The veteran fundraiser, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis earlier this year, launched a number of highly successful fundraisers including the Bosom Pals and Pin Point cancer appeal.

Alan Tobias, chairman of Southend Hospital Trust, said: “We are deeply saddened by the death of Colin George.

He was not only an amazing ambassador for our hospital charity, but also a hospital governor for whom the care and respect of our patients was paramount.

“Colin selflessly dedicated so much of his life to serving the whole community in a variety of guises and roles.

“We will be forever in his debt for the time he devoted to championing the hospital and in helping to raise extraordinary sums of money for new equipment which have helped so many. Our thoughts and condolences are with Colin’s wife Pamand their family at this very sad time.”

Lucy Thomas-Clayton, associate director of fundraising at the hospital, added: “Colin was always kind, unflappable, calm and courteous, a true gentleman.

“He was always very supportive of the hospital and of its staff. We are all deeply saddened by his death.

“He was a wonderful chairman, leading the charity through a number of successful campaigns.

“We pass on our condolences to Colin’s wife Pam and their family who are in our thoughts at this time of sadness.

He will be greatly missed by all that knew him.”

Mr George was a Labour Southend councillor and also stood against Sir Teddy Taylor in a general election in 1980, polling a very respectable 12,687 votes against Sir Teddy’s 13,117 votes.

 

TRIBUTES PAID TO COLIN GEORGE

THE manager of Southend Citizen's Advice Bureau, Trish Carpenter, said: “Colin’s long and distinguished service was recognised in a visit to the bureau by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal on April 11, 2003, a memorable day for Colin and the bureau. Colin will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him through the bureau. Our thoughts are with his widow, Pam, and the rest of the family at this sad time.”

Sir Teddy Taylor, former Conservative MP for Rochford and Southend East, said: “I am very sorry to hear this. He was the first person who fought against me in the election in 1980. I always regarded him highly from that moment as he could have won if he had played dirty but he always played straight.

“He was involved in many good causes. I’ve always had a high regard for him. We were very lucky to have him in Southend. Everything he did was straight and honest.

He was a credit to the Labour Party.

“Everything he did was aimed at trying to help people and in politics he was a credit to all his colleagues.

He was one of the best people I have ever come across.”

Jim Worsdale, former Echo editor, said: “He was a truly lovely man. I remember him from his days on Southend Council. He became chairman of the finance committee at a very young age, in his twenties.

“He was always very approachable and cheerful and someone who was very fond of Southend.”

Mick Thwaites former Southend District Police Commander and vice chairman of the Southend Hospital charitable trust, said: “It’s difficult to sum what he was and who he was. He was a tremendous character. I knew him before his hospital days from the Citizens Advice Bureau and various other bits he did over the years.

“For the last 15 years he was chairman of the hospital charity fund and provided real leadership. He was a real character. He would walk into a room and there was a real presence about him.

“With his leadership the charity raised £3.5million on some amazing projects.

The last one was the breast cancer appeal Bosom Pal’s On the Road Appeal. It had a huge impact. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer so I have first hand knowledge of the huge impact of the appeal.

“Through his leadership we got the community behind these fantastic causes.

People had huge respect for him.

“The Keyhole Surgery appeal has already raised £350,000 which is a tremendous effort in such early stages of the appeal.

“He was a true leader, he had true community spirit.

He cared so much about the hospital and the Southend Borough.

“It is a real loss and real shock. It is a loss to the hospital and to Southend but his legacy will live on.”

Labour veteran councillor Reg Copley, said: “Myself and David Norman were councillors with Colin back in the Sixties. He and I got on very well. He was always a very progressive politician who worked hard.

“He became chairman of the finance committee at the age of 21 and some councillors were a bit taken aback by that. He was always involved in the progressive side of politics and will be remembered for that.”

Labour councillor David Norman said: “I was extremely sorry to hear about the passing of Colin George. We had know each other from our teens. By the time I was elected in 1965 he was well established and became a very young chairman of the powerful finance committee. We served on the council together.

“He contested the Chelmsford seat against Norman St John-Stevas and only lost the Rochford and Southend East election by a narrow margin. He would have made a brilliant local MP had he been successful.

“He did great work for the Citizens Advice Bureau and for Southend Hospital.

He was a great Southender and will be greatly missed.

He was a man of outstanding ability.”

Former Basildon Labour MP Angela Smith said: “My sympathy goes to his family.

He was a big figure in Southend and in the Citizens Advice Bureau. I am very sorry for the family’s loss.”

CHARITABLE FOUNDATION’S SUCCESSES

COLIN George became a trustee of Southend Hospital Charitable Foundation when it was founded in 1998 and served as chairman for the last 15 years.

To date the foundation has raised £3.7million for major hospital projects through a series of hospital appeals.

The current one is the £600,000 Keyhole Cancer Appeal for a new state-of-theart keyhole theatre.

Other projects include the Pinpoint Cancer Appeal which was launched in 2005.

It raised more than £480,000 for an image-guided radiotherapy system.

The StrokeBusters Appeal was launched in 2007 and contributed £750,000 towards a stroke unit at Southend Hospital with a 14-bed acute stroke unit.

The Bosom Pals Appeal was launched in May 2009 to raise £750,000 for the breast unit at Southend University Hospital. The appeal helped fund two digital mammography machines, IT equipment and helped improve patient amenities including a new breast care counselling room.