Charity trustee Dennis steps down after helping for nearly 40 years
ONE of Wokingham’s oldest charities had bid a fond farewell to trustee who has served the group for more than 35 years.
Wokingham United Charities (WUC) says it is grateful to Dennis Eyriey for all he has done to help steer it through the decades.
A leaving lunch, and a farewell tea at the charity’s Westende Almshouses, gave trustees, staff and residents opportunity to express their thanks.
WUC charity manager Amy Garstang, said: “Dennis Eyriey has been an esteemed trustee and former chair of the board at Wokingham United Charities for nearly three decades.
“His dedication and leadership have played a vital role in shaping the charity, particularly during a period of significant transformation in recent years.
“He has been a cornerstone of the Board, providing invaluable guidance and sharing his knowledge and experience, and as he embarks on a well-deserved retirement, his absence will be felt by all at WUC.
“We extend our gratitude for his years of service and wish him all the best in this new chapter.”
The charity says Dennis’s legacy will continue to inspire as the group strives to uphold the values he championed.
Mr Eyriey, said: “Wokingham United Charities is a really interesting organisation, with a very long history.
“Working with the charity for 39 years, and helping local people during that time, has been very rewarding.
“Wokingham has changed a lot. The town has grown and developed since I moved here in 1965.
“It was definitely easier to park then .... But there is still an ongoing need to help people less fortunate than oneself.”
It was Dennis’s professional role as charities and commercial property lawyer with Clifton Ingram solicitors that led to his connection with WUC.
“I was originally acting for the charity, which is how I came to know them.”
A lot has changed for Wokingham United Charities over the decades, as well as in the town.
“We have been able to enlarge our scope of operation, and have become Wokingham’s largest grant-making charity,” explained Mr Eyriey.
“We used to be limited to giving out small grants, until a sale of land gave us a large pot of money that delivers a considerable sum each year.
“This transformed what we were able to do, and has enabled us to take a different approach to deciding who we could help.
“It used to be that we could only offer to buy essential items like washing machines or tumble dryers, but now we can do that and support other charities and organisations working to alleviate poverty and its effects.”
WUC’s origins go back to 1451, when John Westende gifted eight cottages in Le Peche-street, now Peach Street, for poor and needy people in Wokingham.
Five centuries later the organisation provides 27 selfcontained flats at Westende Almshouses, and manages a substantial Relief in Need fund that provides grant funding for local charities and individuals.
“I don’t think enough people are aware of what we do to help people in the borough,” said Mr Eyriey.
He leaves a big hole at the charity, which benefited from his professional knowledge, his experience, and his commitment.
They will be looking for someone willing to step into his shoes as volunteer trustee to help guide WUC into the future.
“Volunteering is very rewarding,” he said. Taking part in something where you know you are making a difference, and putting yourself forward to help is wonderful.
“I’m 89 now, and I need to start taking life a bit easier, but we need new people to come and join the Board of Trustees.
“My role could suit someone recently retired who’s not quite sure what to do with the time they’ve released, or how to find another interest.
“I’d say to them, ‘ Use your experience to help others, put yourself forward, and get involved with something really worthwhile.”
Dennis isn’t stepping back entirely from volunteering, though; he’s still an active Rotary member, and chair of governors at Holme Grange School: “Yes, I’m a glutton for punishment,” he said.