Former town councillor and wife to be honoured with memorial bench

FORMER Westbury town councillor, Mike Kettlety and his wife Pam, could soon have a lasting memorial in Vivash Park after the town council’s management of services committee approved a request from their family to install a bench in the area following their deaths last year.

Mike served on the town council for six years and was instrumental in negotiating the transfer of Vivash Park to the town council from the developer, and his wife Pam was praised for her commitment to her work with the neighbouring North Bradley Parish Council.

Mike Sutton from Westbury Town Council says that the memorial bench will be a fitting tribute to their public service.

“At the management of services meeting on Wednesday 8th March the committee approved the request from the Kettlety family for a memorial bench in Vivash Park,” said cllr Sutton.

“Previously they wanted it near the White Horse, but English Heritage would not allow further applications for seats on the site. Westbury Town Council are pleased to be able to offer an alternative site especially as Mike Kettlety was a local councillor who spent much time on the task and finish group negotiating the transfer of the land to the town council.

“The decision of the committee needs to be endorsed by town council but that is a formality and preparations can proceed with the installation. The family and friends have received through donations the money to cover the cost of buying a bench and its installation. And it is hoped it can be in place within the next few months.

“The bench will be dedicated to both Mike Kettlety who was a Westbury town councillor and his wife Pam who was a councillor in a neighbouring parish. They both died within a short time of each other, and they worked for many years without remuneration or reward for the benefit of their local communities and many other worthy causes. A bench in the park with acknowledging their public service will be a fitting tribute to their public service.”

Friends of Pam and Mike set up a Crowfunding page to raise £800 for the bench, which is currently on £680. On the page they say, “Mike passed away in March 2022 and Pam in December of the same year. They were loved and appreciated by many – be they family, friends, colleagues from the community they worked so hard to support and, also, their Labour family.

“Pam and Mike were selfless, compassionate people who devoted time and energy to helping those less fortunate than themselves. They have left a sadness in the hearts of many and so it is only fitting that, with the blessing of their families, we honour and remember them.

“Due to your fantastic generosity, we have money in excess to purchase snowdrops and bluebells. The snowdrops in memory of Pam who passed away in the winter and the bluebells in memory of Mike who passed away in the spring.”

If more money is raised than is needed for the memorial bench the surplus funds will be donated to Pam’s charity of choice which was Westbury foodbank.

You can donate to the Crowdfunding here: https://bit.ly/3YTEYVm

Pictured: Vivash Park.