Jill Mortimer:

We are all very sad at the news of Jill Mortimer’s passing. Her record of service to South Wilts Mencap is outstanding and we are very grateful to two longstanding members, Bridget Westcott and Angela Jay, for providing these thoughts on her contribution.
 
Jill became involved with Mencap after the birth of her daughter Stephanie. In the early days she helped start a Parents and Teachers Group at Exeter House (in those days on the Friary). She was heavily involved in fund raising activities, one of which was raising money for a fire escape, which enabled an extra room to be brought into service as a classroom. It was at this time Jill started a Mothers’ Group, sharing information about benefits, health issues etc but also providing much needed mutual support. This group is still in existence and will sadly miss her.

In 1971 she took on the running of the New Horizon Club with dedication and enthusiasm. In those days it met at the Old Fire Station and Jill used her youth work expertise to run it just like an ordinary youth club, with pantomimes, games, treasure hunts and participating in the hospital carnival. This great success continued over 16 years before she handed on the baton.

Jill had a genius for fund raising which over the years took many forms. In 1978 she took on the sale of Mencap card and gifts, as well as organising jumble sales. She distributed the Royal Mencap cards and gift catalogues and encouraged people to hold coffee mornings in their own homes to boost sales – this very successful programme has only recently come to an end and Jill was always very generous in her tributes to her wonderful hostesses. Not least of her ventures, the Sarum Show, was started by Jill in 1979 and was a major source of funding to the Society before the founding of the Shop. Jill fund raised too for Riding for the Disabled (to this day there is a bottle for contributions to the RDA on the shop counter) and the Douglas Arter Centre also benefited from her skills and drive. Both these organisations were important to her in supporting Stephanie.

But Jill also helped create new services. She was instrumental in the setting up of the Portage scheme, finding a Mencap member to visit and work with parents on exercises to help with mobility and development. As Stephanie grew Jill supported the development new children’s unit at Hillcote, which was to provide her and many others with much needed respite care.

Continued