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In Memorium
Bill Wright
It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of one of our pillars of the community and a great friend of The Hub and Woodsy's Pantry Bill Wright at the end of September 2027.
Bill absolutely loved his community and got so much pleasure from helping others. His Christmas lights at The Crossway became a real labour of love for him, and raising money for Woodsy’s Food Bank meant an enormous amount to him.
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Over a 6 year period his Christmas lights raised a staggering total of £17, 160.86, and last year alone £3,609.84 all for Woodsy's Pantry helping us to provide much needed support for the Portchester Community. In addition Bill and his wife Barbara also raised £796.75 for the Rocky Appeal and £271.12 for Wicor School Gardens.
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He put so much time and effort into the display every year, but for Bill it was never about recognition. He simply loved seeing people enjoying it and knowing that, at the same time, he was helping people in his local community.
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Over the years, Bill was involved in other parts of community life too. He was heavily involved with Portchester Pétanque for a time, encouraging youngsters to give it a try and even completing courses so that he could teach and support them.
He was also a familiar sight around Portchester with his litter picker in hand, out virtually every day and in all weathers, quietly doing his bit to look after the place he loved.
We have been completely overwhelmed by the messages since we lost him. So many people have described him using exactly the same words: a gentleman, kind, friendly, always smiling and always having time for a chat. That really was our Bill.
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As his family, we are incredibly proud of him and of the difference he made to so many people. It means the world to us to know that he will be remembered so fondly throughout Portchester.
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His family want to raise the same amount Bill and Barbara raised in the last ten years - £18,360.71. And we'd like to do it by Christmas Day!
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But there's a difference....
They don't want your £20 - We want your 20p – and your SHARE!
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They're not asking people to make large donations. Quite the opposite.
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This is about demonstrating what Bill and Barbara proved year after year: Small change can make a very big difference when enough people get involved.
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Just give a little if you can, or, at the very least, a simple SHARE! A SHARE could be even more valuable than a few pennies.
