The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘Nobody has done more for Glenrothes than David Nelson’
‘A colossus’: Tributes pour in for community leader who died suddenly
Tributes have poured in for a Glenrothes community leader who died suddenly yesterday.
David Nelson was described as a “colossus” in the town after the 61-year-old passed away at his home in Lundin Crescent.
A prominent campaigner and stakeholder in several local organisations, police confirmed that they had been called to Mr Nelson’s home after he died of a medical condition.
Secretary of the CISWO social club, chairman of the Auchmuty Tenants and Residents Association and one of the foremost national campaigners against the so-called bedroom tax, fellow town figureheads spoke of the void that Mr Nelson’s passing will now leave at the heart of the community.
Tricia Marwick, the town’s former MSP, said: “I had known David for around 30 years and my thoughts go to his family.
“There is nobody in the history of the town who has done more for Glenrothes than David Nelson.
“I’m so glad that in November he was able to see the opening of the new CISWO because I know he put his heart and soul into that over many years.”
Her successor, Jenny Gilruth MSP, described Mr Nelson as a “stalwart” of Glenrothes, adding: “He cared deeply about the town and in the short time I have been the MSP he was a great source of advice to me personally.”
Mr Nelson was best known for his association with the CISWO club, having been involved with the organisation for around 25 years.
Its vice-president, Ian Murdoch, said that Mr Nelson’s passing would be felt throughout Glenrothes, adding: “He was a compassionate, caring man. He will be a huge loss to the whole town.”
In recent years Mr Nelson hit the national headlines after winning a landmark test case against the Department for Work and Pensions over the controversial Spare Room Subsidy, better known as the ‘bedroom tax’, while most recently he was spearheading a takeover of the town’s Warout Stadium in a bid to turn it into a community sports hub.
Ron Page, chairman of the North Glenrothes Community Council, added: “He was a colossus and a major asset with the town centre and A92 campaigns. It’s very sad news.”
I’m so glad that in November he was able to see the opening of the new CISWO because I know he put his heart and soul into that over many years. TRICIA MARWICK