It is sad to announce that Jim Ward an Officer at St Thomas Crumpsall has sadly passed away following a short illness.  

Jim’s Funeral will take place Friday 8^th January 2016 at Harpurhey Community Church, (Carrisbrook Street, Harpurhey, Manchester M9 5UX) at 11am, then onwards to Blackley Crematorium (Victoria Avenue, Blackley, Manchester M9 8JP) for 12.30pm and then on to Blackley Golf Club just a few minutes up the road (Victoria Avenue East, M9 7HW) for 1.15pm or so.

Jim’s family would particularly like Members, Officers and Friends to join them for both Funeral service and later at the Golf Club. An indication of numbers attending would be appreciated please contact the CLCGB Office.

The Church Lads’ and Church Girls’ Brigade would like to pass on all our condolences to Jim’s family and friends at this sad time.

Jim's son James has written the following about his Dad.

Big Brigade Jim was the name my dad, Jim Ward, chose for his email address. It suited him perfectly. But he’d been in The Church Lads’ Brigade long before computers came into our homes. He joined in 1949, aged 14 and he never left. All my life, there’s barely been a Thursday night that he hasn’t headed out with that big bunch of keys to open up the Brigade. I couldn’t begin to guess the amount of men (and recently, young ladies) that have been taught the Brigade motto by my dad. When he walked round his area, Harpurhey, many a bloke would call out, “Hello, Sir.”

Harpurhey isn’t without its problems and my dad had to park his car several streets away to keep it safe. But nothing would stop him opening up that Brigade. And when that church could no longer host his Brigade nights, he found another Brigade nearby and ran that one. He was already 70 or thereabouts. But on he went. He was still opening up the Brigade less than a month before his 80^th birthday.

He passed away peacefully just two weeks after his birthday following a short and pain-free illness. Some of his last words were about the Brigade. And how it might continue.

Bugles, belts and caps filled our house. He cherished his Brigade car badge, the type that would adorn the front bumpers of olden day vehicles. He’d fixed it inside his rear window. He had many hobbies too. His pottery and art, his photography and his films. But the Brigade was his foremost joy. For 67 years, give or take, it made a cheerful chap happier still. My thanks to The Church Lads’ and Church Girls’ Brigade for that.

He’ll be a much-missed brother and uncle, grandad and father.