Jo Barnes Fund to boost environment in her memory

May 6 2009 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A LASTING memorial for a keen green campaigner is helping to boost the environment.

Jo Barnes of Slaithwaite died of breast cancer in February.

But she left a legacy of environmental work which her friends have vowed to continue.

The 62-year-old’s partner Paul Salveson has set up the Jo Barnes Fund to donate money to local groups who want to carry out environmental work.

The first £200 has been donated to the Friends of Slaithwaite Spa to boost their work to bring the old spa back into use.

Mr Salveson said: “The trust was something we discussed in her last few weeks and she was very keen on the idea.

“It is a fund to support community projects which benefit the environment.

“She was a great environmental campaigner and very passionate about it.

“She put a lot of her own time into all sorts of different projects and was the instigator of many ideas and projects she never got the chance to do so we will carry them on.”

Jo was the chairperson of the River Colne Project, based at Slaithwaite, for nine years.

She led many clean-up projects, wildflower planting and research into species living on the river banks.