Betty Richards, founder of Fareham Musical Society and Fareham Macular Support Society has died aged 95

Betty Richards has died at the age of 95

Betty, who was known for her fundraising, died on February 24, 2023 and her family will be paying tribute to their loved one next week.

She was a pillar in the community and she spent her years paving the way for future generations by founding the Fareham Musical Society in 1983 and she had a dream that Fareham might have its own theatrical company that would perform at Ferneham Hall.

In 1986, members of the group had their first performance at the town hall, making her dream come true, and since then there have been a number of musicals and shows.

Not only did Betty have a large involvement in the theatrical scene in Fareham, but she was also known for the Fareham Macular Support group, which she founded as she had macular degeneration which causes the loss of central vision in both eyes.

Tom Elliott, Betty’s son, said: ‘She has been around all of these years, we thought she would go on forever but the last six months or so she got frailer and frailer and it all caught up with her but she was still able to crack jokes with people. She was a very fun-loving woman.

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‘She loved the theatrical side of life. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother and great grandmother, but she was fiercely independent.’

From left, Tom McInulty, dogs Brunel and Toby, Betty Richards and Alan Titchmarsh. Picture: Macular Society

She dedicated more than 50 years of her lifetime raising money for charity and she abseiled down the Spinnaker Tower a number of times to raise money for charity.

In 2017, she received a Point of Light award and in 2018, Betty was recognised for her voluntary work with a Citizen of Honour award from Fareham Borough Council.

In 2018, Betty also featured on Alan Titchmarsh’s Love Your Garden and her Fareham garden had a spruce-up.

Tom added: ‘She was a force of nature really. She just went through life doing as much as she could right up until very recently.'

The funeral will take place on March 15 at Portchester Crematorium at 11.30am and Tom has said anyone who knew her is welcome to pay their respects.