Julie Woodward
1937 - 2011
It is with great sadness that I have to report the sudden death of Julie Woodward, the Chair of trustees of the Redbridge Business Education Partnership (ReBEP) latterly known as BEP Group, who died suddenly on Friday October 14th in Ireland. Her husband, Ray, and family were with her.
Julie was appointed Chair in 2001 and for the decade since worked tirelessly for the benefit of our charity. She acted as a mentor, guide and sounding board to myself during a time when ReBEP went through considerable change to meet the rapidly altering world of working with the numerous projects to help the young people of Redbridge and east London.
As chair of the Redbridge Chamber of Commerce, Julie was well aware of the need for young people to discover the skills that they would need to have to be successful in the working world. Julie was always one of the first to volunteer to take part in activities in schools and to support the work of ReBEP practically: she was one of our first and longest serving reading partners with primary children.
Julie’s background in personnel gave her an understanding of how to get the best from people. During her regular visits to ReBEP’s offices she would invariably have cheerful words to say to members of staff and she was always met with affection by ReBEP employees. The whole staff will miss her.
Julie was a positive and caring person who helped and supported the development of ReBEP so that it is now a body that operates across east and south London and is able to provide support to many more young people who have need of a different, more practical, way to learn.
ReBEP/BEP Group will miss having Julie’s quiet wisdom, cheerful support and strength of purpose to help guide it through its next period of development. For myself and those members of staff who knew her well, we will miss a mentor, a friend and someone whose unfailingly positive view of the world inspired us.
Kelly Sims
CEO, BEP Group
17 October 2011