We are saddened to hear the news of the death of a much-loved former trustee of the National Churches Trust, Sir Peter Readman OBE. Peter was a Trustee from 2006 to 2016 and continued to support the charity following his tenure. We are grateful to have known Peter and for his generosity, both with his time and skills, in helping the National Churches Trust. We would love to share more with you about Peter, so you can join us in paying tribute to this extraordinary man.
Born John Peter Abercromby Readman in Manchester on December 10, 1946, he had a lifelong passion for music. At Harrow, John played horn and sang, including for Winston Churchill's state funeral in 1965.
Peter and his wife Victoria founded the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Peter remained Chair of the organisation for the rest of his life. "The Chamber Orchestra of Europe is Peter’s enduring gift to us all. Generations of musicians and audiences alike will continue to benefit from the vision he had and the values he embodied," says Camilla Follett, Orchestra Personnel Manager at the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Luke March, former Chair of the National Churches Trust continues: "I remember Peter well and I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations about the European Chamber Orchestra as we both loved music and heritage. He even showed me the CDs which he admired most and which he had clearly promoted."
Heritage and history
Peter was a Trustee at a critical time in the charity's history: the creation of the National Churches Trust. The National Churches Trust was created in 2007 to carry on the important work of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust.
The Historic Churches Preservation Trust was established in 1953 and acted primarily as a grant giving trust, providing vital funds for repairs to historic churches. From the outset, the Historic Churches Preservation Trust supported churches of all the major Christian denominations, as well as chapels and meeting houses.
In 2013, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust with a special service at Westminster Abbey.
"Peter was a good and lifelong friend and an excellent support to me on the National Churches Trust board," says Michael Hoare, former chair and now Vice President of the charity. "He had an eye for detail and was a wise decision maker. He will be hugely missed."
Thank you Peter
"We are grateful to Peter for how he has helped the National Churches Trust, not just as Trustee, but in the years following this too," shares Claire Walker, who became Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust in 2011.
"Peter's time, insight and skills were integral to our charity developing into a UK-wide organisation and being able to support so many different churches, chapels and meeting houses. Peter will be much missed by the charity. We send our deepest condolences to Peter's family and loved ones."