Green campaigner and charity champion dies, aged 81

A FORMER Sue Ryder women of achievement award winner has died, aged 81.

Val Stoner, of Wyndale Close, Henley, died from pneumonia at Lashbrook House, a care home in Shiplake, after a final time with her husband Jim, on April 1. She had been unwell for about 18 months.

The couple, who had two children, Daren and Jamie, would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Saturday.

Mr Stoner said: “She had suffered a series of serious strokes over the past year. They allowed me to go in and be with her for the last time and I am very grateful to them for that — they were really kind.” Mrs Stoner, a reiki and crystal healing therapist, spent more than 50 years volunteering for charities in and around Henley.

She was born and bred in the town and first became involved in charity work in the Sixties when she joined the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service, delivering meals to the former day centre, now the 60+ Social Club.

She promoted alternative healthcare, including a “healing glade” which was planted in Marsh Meadows in 2014.

Mrs Stoner started the Henley Be Well Centre in early 2000, which still takes place every Monday at King’s Arms Barn, offering free massages, healing and reflexology in return for a donation to charity. She also helped set up Eco Henley, a pressure group campaigning for greater action on air pollution in the town.

She used to visit the Henley YMCA each month to spend time with young people and was known as a knowledgeable local historian.

Together with Jennifer Scott, Mrs Stoner raised funds for the refurbishment of the green room at the Kenton Theatre in Henley.

Mrs Stoner was also involved in international aid campaigns, travelling to Romania in 1989 with the WI to help in orphanages and hospital and later persuaded the Royal Berkshire Hospital to donate an ultrasound machine to a Romanian hospital.

She set up a fund to help build new schools and provide computers for pupils in Thailand after the 2004 tsunami hit. Mrs Stoner and her husband were on holiday in the country at the time of the disaster.

More recently, she was in charge of a project to plant a wising tree at Marsh Meadows. In 2017, Mrs Stoner won the community award at the Sue Ryder women of achivement awards for her charity work.

Her funeral will take place at Reading Crematorium in Caversham on April 24 but only close family will be allowed to attend due to the coronavirus restrictions.