Memorial Service at Cathedral Will Honour Popular Birmingham Headteacher
March 11, 2011
Friends and colleagues of a popular former Birmingham headteacher will come together later this month for a special service dedicated to his memory.
The memorial service in honour of Chris Leach, who taught at Matthew Boulton Community Primary School, will take place at Birmingham Cathedral on Saturday, March 26, beginning at 7.30pm.
The event is being organised by one of Mr Leach’s former deputy heads, Christopher Webb, who will conduct the Birmingham Concert Orchestra and Sutton Coldfield Chamber Choir in a performance of Faure’s Requiem.
Another of Mr Leach’s former deputies, Julie Berrow, will be playing in the orchestra, whilst a dear friend, Anup Kumar Biswas, will be the soloist in Dvorák’s Cello Concerto.
Funds raised at the event will be split between the Mathieson Music School in Kolkata, of which Mr Leach was a trustee, and Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, which cared for the 55-year-old teacher during his battle against cancer.
Mr Webb, who worked with Mr Leach at Matthew Boulton, said: “It’s a privilege to be able to put this concert on in memory of Chris, to keep his spirit forever in our hearts”.
Mr Leach’s widow Cathy added: “I’m truly grateful to Christopher for organising this service; he has done a fantastic job of pulling together some wonderful performers. I know my Chris would have approved and I think a lot of people are going to find it an incredibly moving, yet fitting tribute.
“If you knew Chris, and would like to come along you would be most welcome.”
Anyone who knew Mr Leach, who passed away in January 2010, is welcome to attend the service. Tickets will be available on the door.
Since its launch in 1979, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice has cared for tens of thousands of people with life-limiting illnesses, such as cancer, motor neurone disease and MS.
With around 52 percent of the hospice’s budget reliant on public goodwill, community fundraising is crucial to ensuring its highly specialised services can continue to be offered to the people of Birmingham and Sandwell.
In addition to a 25-bed inpatient unit, Birmingham St Mary’s boasts a 20-place day hospice and provides community care to people who wish to stay in their own homes.
The hospice also supports relatives with bereavement preparation, physiotherapy tuition and counselling in addition to many other services.
Annual running costs stand at £6.3 million, with around £1 million being raised in the hospice’s shops and £2.7 million via fundraising. The remainder comes from the NHS.
Birmingham St Mary’s nurses, often referred to by patients and relatives as ‘angels’, are renowned for going that extra mile to ensure people with terminal illnesses enjoy the best possible quality of life.
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