Viv, Rob and Lorely produced the following submission for Kate.
Kate Ormrod: 1949 to 11th Sept 2020 : CAMPAIGNER
A passionate and fearless woman who dedicated her life to people and the planet. Kate’s main concern was for justice and fairness hence her work on both mainstream and radical community initiatives and co-operatives to create opportunities for people to change their lives and their environment.
For over 30 years in the SW Kate was pivotal in furthering social and environmental issues as summarized by Agenda 21 for ‘a just and sustainable future’.
Practical and innovative strategies for Community and Culture, Education, Energy, Environment, Transport, Partnership, Creativity, Food, Building, Health and Wellbeing. Waste and Reuse.
We wish Kate to be remembered as a pioneer, fostering so many UK and local community projects with her spirit of joy, community, cooperation, wit and wisdom. A true exponent of "kitchen table democracy"
Summary on Co-op activities:
Kate was a campaigner for decades for a more democratic, collaborative way of living, trading and working. A co-operator to her core, she served on the Co-operative Group Members’ committee whose task was to help set social policy on behalf of the membership, and the Regional Board where her commitment and contribution was respected by all who knew her. As the largest Co-operative organisation in the world, keeping true to its guiding principles and acting in a truly democratic way is not always easy, but Kate would never be reticent to call into question anything which didn’t measure up to those values and principles, expressing her views but always in a measured, confident way.
Later, she Chaired the regional organisation Co-operatives South West for a number of years, which worked to raise the profile of ALL local co-ops, large and small, from credit unions to farmers’ collectives, co-housing groups to food co-ops and community shops and pubs. This was very much Kate’s forte. She believed in people working together to achieve common goals.
Kate felt strongly that global problems could largely be solved by individual and local community action - whether it was campaigning against environmental pollution, or for social justice, poverty reduction and women’s rights. Despite increasing ill-health she never stopped challenging the status quo where she believed it to be failing humanity and nature. Her dedication, enthusiasm and zest for life will be missed enormously by all who knew her.
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