Tributes made to mark the passing of much-loved Atherstone nurse, councillor and friend

Tributes have been made in the memory of Cllr Dawn Downes this week after her sad and unexpected passing at the end of February.

Cllr Downes served on both Atherstone Town Council as well as North Warwickshire Borough Council.

Tributes were made to her by friends and family yesterday, as residents of Atherstone and staff at George Eliot hospital where she worked lined the streets to honour her funeral procession.

Her close friend Cllr Sara Bishop has said: "We are all deeply shocked and saddened at the tragic loss of our good friend and my fellow Labour town councillor, Dawn Downes, due to Covid-19.

"Not only was she a skilled nurse and a committed and energetic union representative working to support her fellow NHS workers, but she also gave much of her spare time to support those in the local community, particularly those who have been experiencing hardship during the pandemic.

"I would like to pay tribute to Dawn, a kind, generous woman with a wonderful sense of humour, who worked hard to help others in both her professional and public life. She is a great loss to us all."

Speaking at yesterday's Atherstone Town Council meeting, Mayor of Atherstone Cllr Ray Jarvis said: "before we start we have obviously had a very sad day today and I would like to share some words.

"Dawn Downes was a very respected member of both Atherstone Town Council and North Warwickshire Borough Council, she is what I would call a people person, always there in times of need. In her role as a theatre nurse at George Eliot hospital she had a great interest and passion in the NHS and she was instigator of the Florence Nightingale walk Christmas 2019.

"Above all of this Dawn was a friend who will be greatly missed."

A moments silence was then held.

Cllr Jarvis concluded: "It is so sad to lose somebody so young, it just shows how ruthless Covid is, that it has taken somebody so dedicated in her profession."

Speaking in the public session Gary Chamberlain echoed these sentiments saying: "I would like to echo your kind words at the very beginning regarding our friend Dawn, it is such a sad loss, she was a valued member of the Atherstone Partnership as well as a member of the town and borough council.

"She will be missed greatly."

Discussions were held later in the meeting regarding a rainbow-themed light for Christmas 2021 to mark the work of the NHS.

Once this was accepted Cllr Denise Clews who proposed the new lights added: "what an appropriate light this is after the day we have had to day for a member of our community and our NHS staff."