Help Gerald Have a Wonderful Send Off.

It is with great sadness that we learnt that our lovely friend & volunteer Gerald passed away suddenly from a heart attack at home, on Tuesday 29th October. He will be greatly missed by everyone at Clayton Village Hall, where he helped out so much & worked so hard. He was always willing to give & loved that he was respected, needed and very much part of the Village Hall team. We are all devastated and can't really believe it.

Unfortunately, due to his circumstances, Gerald made no provisions for himself with regard to  leaving this world. He was only 56 when he passed over and it was certainly a great shock for everyone. We want to give him the send off he really deserves. He touched so many people that we are hoping that whatever donation you can spare, can be added to the 'pot'. 

Gerald was a familiar face in Clayton and everyone knew him to be a very jolly, kind, helpful man, who loved to have a bit of banter with locals in the community! In fact he struggled to say no if he knew something needed doing! He was a volunteer with Clayton Village Hall, Mind, Clayton Community Cinema, Clayton Burns Society, Village Hall Cafe, Clayton Dickensian Market, and Applause Theatre Company. He put his heart and sole into everything that he did and was always enthusiastic. He was a great man and will be missed very much by very many.

Can you help us raise the funds we need to give Gerald the 'goodbye' he so rightly deserves? We will be grateful for any donations anyone can give. We aim to raise at least £1500 towards funeral costs, although we are aware that costs may be more. If anything is left over, we intend to donate it to the British Heart Foundation and M.I.N.D (Bradford). The trustees at Clayton Village Hall will be arranging everything. We request no flowers, and that donations are made to the above charities if you were thinking of buying flowers. Thank you. 

Did you know Gerald was a triplet? He also had a younger and an older brother, so he was one of five! He was originally from Frome in Somerset, he then moved to Lancaster, where he was involved in Lancaster City Football Club. He became their General Assistant and was very proud of himself when he was was voted Clubman of the Year. He was an integral part of the club and was well loved and respected. He then lived in Kent for several years before eventually coming to Bradford about 15 years ago. He lived on his own in his flat for over 10 years. He absolutely loved football and supported Bradford City, but sadly, he could never afford the match tickets. He had a great interest in watching many other sports too, particularly motor sport.

You will be dearly missed by all your friends in Clayton and at the Village Hall. We are all very sad that you will no longer be around, and know what a great asset you always were to everyone you helped. It will be very hard to find anyone who can take your place.

Gerald Ashfield, Angels will love you and be glad that you're there to help them with their jobs, because they know that you always loved to be busy. God Bless Ya and Sleep Tight xxx