Rachael Rodway, the founder and chair of trustees of Carlisle Foodbank in Cumbria, left a gift of more than £1 million in her will to Cumbria Community Foundation (CCF) to help those suffering from poverty and poor health.
Rodway, who died in April 2022, was also a trustee of several other charities and a well-respected solicitor. Tributes were paid to her as an 'incredible' force for good by friends and colleagues.
Stunned and delighted
Caroline Adams, Development Manager for Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We were absolutely stunned and delighted to learn Rachael had left this incredible gift in her will.
“As the driving force behind Carlisle Foodbank, Rachael understood the Cumbrian charity sector better than anyone. Therefore, we’re particularly pleased that she entrusted her money to us to make a difference in Cumbrian communities where it is most needed. The Cumbria Fund is our most flexible and powerful fund, which we can direct to address the priority issues in our county.”
Honouring her legacy
A café opened last year and was named ‘Rachael’s’ in honour of its founder. Steph Humes, operations director at Carlisle Food Bank, said “everyone agreed it would be a lovely way to remember her... people who come in the cafe ask who Rachael was and we tell them all about her”.
Humes added that Rodway “did a lot of work behind the scenes” at the food bank. “She was in here right up until the end, very much playing down her illness,” Steph said. She described Rodway as “just incredible, not just for this place but for the whole community”.
