Tributes paid to Norwich Christian campaigner

2012: Norwich Christian campaigner and community stalwart, David Roberts, has died aged 82.

Under David's leadership, Norwich’s Christian Aid Week donations rose from £550 in 1969 to about £45,000 a year and he was a long-standing representative of the United Reformed Church on the executive of Norwich Council of Churches (now Transforming Norwich) for 30 years.

David also helped to lay foundations for the Norwich Inter-Faith Link in 2001 and held office until 2009. He introduced Tearcraft and Traidcraft fairly-traded goods to Norwich and won a Civic Award in 2009 for services to the community.

David was an active campaigner on Third World issues and was a key player in the Norwich World Poverty Action Group, the Third World Centre and the United Nations Association, where he held senior posts in the Norwich and eastern region branches.

As regional representative on the Board of the World Development Movement for five years, he organised lobbies of Parliament for increased overseas aid and also at G8 Summits.

Norwich Inter-Faith Link Chair, Bishop David Gillett, said: “For so many years David was the inspiration and organiser of the interfaith movement in this part of the world.  His commitment to peace and his never-ending desire to cross boundaries and make relationships with those from other backgrounds, ethnicities and religious traditions has left a legacy which many will long remember.”

Married to Connie for almost 50 years, he leaves a son, Mark, and daughter, Clare. David died on May 18 and a funeral has taken place.

To read more about David, visit EDP24

Picture courtesy of EDP24