Over £3,000 donated to West Berkshire mental health charity by former trustee

More than £3,000 has been donated to Time to Talk West Berkshire following the death of one of its former trustees, John Hampson.

Mr Hampson, a much-loved figure in the local community, died suddenly at home on January 25 at the age of 68.

After his death, his family asked for any donations in his memory to be made to the the charity, which offers a free, confidential counselling to young people between the ages of 11 and 25 in West Berkshire.

In a statement, the charity said: "All those involved with Time to Talk West Berkshire were saddened by the recent loss of our dear friend and colleague John Hampson.

"Few will ever have the impact that John had supporting Time to Talk. Not only did he move the charity forward through improving branding, marketing and awareness, he also touched the lives of all those who were involved with the charity at the time.

"Everyone felt cared for, motivated and moved by John; he quite literally changed lives for the better and helped shape the charity to the one you see today helping to support the mental wellbeing of the young people in our community.

"John helped to imbue, and he embodied our values, we will never forget him."

Chairwoman at Time to Talk West Berkshire, Georgina Punter, added: “John embodied all the core values of Time to Talk West Berkshire and he will always be remembered by us for his incredible support and enthusiasm.

"We are totally indebted to John and his family for kindly nominating Time to Talk West Berkshire for donations in his memory to help us continue the work in his name with over £3,000 generously raised.”

Mr Hampson, who lived in Hermitage and previously Cold Ash, joined the family-owned Newbury News Ltd at the end of 2004 and worked for the company as a group commercial manager.

Having left the company in 2012, he returned in 2017 to launch and co-ordinate the NWN Best in Business Awards and played an integral part in their success.

Prior to his time with the NWN, Mr Hampson had been an executive director of Travelodge and project director for Forte Hotels.

With a background in hospitality, marketing, sales and project management, he was very much a 'people person' and used his extensive skills and experience throughout his successful career.

To make a donation to Time to Talk West Berkshire in Mr Hampson's memory, visit this site