Severn Valley Railway visitors asked to dig deep in memory of driver lost to 'cruel illness'
An engineer and volunteer at the Severn Valley Railway has raised £1,500 for charity in memory of a friend and colleague who died from motor neurone disease earlier this year.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Keith Hall, a volunteer and locomotive driver at the Severn Valley Railway (SVR), died in June, aged 79.
Close friend Rod Derry, wanted to do something in tribute and at the request of Keith’s family, he set about raising funds in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA), after witnessing the devastating effects of the illness on Keith.
“I saw a great friend, who was supremely fit and active, destroyed by a cruel illness,” explained Rod.
“So much research is needed before the outlook for sufferers will improve. Keith died a few months short of his 80th birthday, and we lost a fine engineer, a mentor and friend.”
Rod arranged for the collection to take place during the SVR’s recent Autumn Steam Gala, using collection boxes and buckets supplied by the MNDA.
He enlisted the help of many colleagues across the railway, raising more than £1,500.
Phillip Clayton of the MNDA visited the SVR’s Kidderminster station, to receive the funds raised from the managing director, Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster and Rod.
