Latest news with #CarolEvans
The Guardian
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Carol Evans obituary
My mother, Carol Evans, who has died aged 85, was a quiet force for social justice. When she was recently admitted to hospital, Carol was asked by a nurse what she did. 'I'm a political activist,' she replied. From 1998 until 2007, she worked for the High Peak Rural Deprivation Forum, a campaigning charity bringing together residents, voluntary groups and the statutory sector to take action for Peak District communities. Carol secured funding from Oxfam to research rural poverty and, as convener of the forum's farming working group, led the publication of Hard Times, a 2004 report into the difficulties experienced by farming families in the Peak District, for which she gained national media coverage. She lobbied parliament, often bringing marginalised groups face-to-face with policymakers. She believed in protest, going on marches and campaigning at party conferences. One of her later roles, from 2015, was with the Independent Constitutionalists, a group that helps independent MPs get elected, and through them she advocated for a bottom-up approach to democracy. She grew up in Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, the youngest of the nine children of Eleanor (nee Banks) and Henry Morrell, a varnish manufacturer. While her brothers joined the family firm, a path barred to her and her sisters, Carol went to secretarial college. She found her calling as secretary in the politics department at the University of Essex. Underestimated by male academics, she proved herself by editing a political journal and organising sit-ins. At Essex, she met Richard Evans, then a PhD student and later a lecturer in further education, and they married in 1971, going on to have five children. The family moved with Richard's job first to Norfolk and then to various locations around the UK, ending up in the Peak District. In her self-styled 'Earth Mother' years, Carol was early to organic, Fairtrade and ethical consumption, sewed her children's clothes and cut their hair, baked bread, made yoghurt and banned processed food. After separating from Richard in the 1990s, Carol sought a fresh intellectual challenge. She embarked on a degree in politics and philosophy at Manchester University, approaching it with characteristic determination, and went on to immerse herself in political campaigning. Carol believed politics happened not just in Westminster; it lived in everyday choices. She invested in her local hydroelectric plant and community shop, and banked with a credit union. She chaired her local transport group, advocating for rural rail access, and served on the board of High Peak CVS, which helps voluntary and community organisations, for nearly two decades. Her colleagues described her as a determined campaigner who refused to take no for an answer. She believed in people, in progress and in showing up for what mattered. Richard died in 2022. Carol is survived by her children, Matthew, Imogen, Dominic, Tristan and me, and six of her seven grandchildren.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New memorial park open in Knoxville overlooking East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The French Broad Veterans Memorial Park in Knoxville is open following years of planning and $1.8 million in donations. Legacy Parks Foundation cut the ribbon on the French Broad Veterans Memorial Park on May 16. The park, which overlooks the French Broad River and the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery, has been in the works since the spring of 2019, when Carol Evans, the foundation's executive director, sought help to develop a park off of Governor John Sevier Highway on 8.5 acres of land donated by Blue Water Industries. 'Makes you proud to be an American': Veterans running across US reach East TN 'We're extremely proud of this veterans park. It was a very, very collaborative effort. A lot of the veteran groups helped, supported us, told us what they needed, told us what they wanted, and we were just so fortunate to get this land, right across from the veterans' cemetery. Close to 10 acres just donated to Legacy Park, so it was a great gift,' said Evans. Legacy Park worked to design the park with veterans organizations. The design plan was made by the East Tennessee Community Design Center. The park includes a covered pavilion for events with a capacity for up to 75 people as well as private areas for reflection and small gatherings. The park also includes a paved walkway with memorials and a viewing area overlooking the river and veterans' cemetery. There is also a memorial wall honoring individual veterans and a flag courtyard honoring the six branches of service. 'Several elements in the park really are reflecting the veterans. The Court of Flags, where we're displaying all of the service flags. The memorial walk, where we have the ability to install 10 more monuments to individual services or honors, and then the pavilion to be able to accommodate group and events. So kind of those three things we were told were important,' said Evans. Ribbon cut on new 264-home neighborhood in North Knoxville 'Thanks to our partnership with Legacy Parks and Carol Evans the French Broad Veterans Memorial Park, overlooking the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery, will add a much-needed park to the area,' said Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs. 'While its stunning views delight the eye, the rows of white headstones and the stories behind them fill our hearts. This will certainly provide veterans, their families, friends and loved ones a place to reflect.' In September 2020, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs announced the county government would put $250,000 towards the project. Construction began in 2023 after Legacy Parks raised $1.3 million, the amount needed to begin construction, in October 2022. Evans explained that they faced several challenges due to being so close to a quarry, but the design team was able to work through it even though it caused construction to take longer than expected. Veterans Voices: Hear the stories of those who served Overall, the foundation raised $1.8 million to support the park. They received donations from the state of Tennessee, U.S. Congressman Tim Burchett, who secured federal funding, and sponsors including Food City, former Gov. Bill Haslam, David and Sandy Martin, and the Stowers family. The French Broad Veterans Memorial Park is located at 2302 East Governor John Sevier Highway in Knoxville. Legacy Parks plans to add a walking trail along the edge of the river bluff. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Yahoo
Crews still searching for vanished GA woman seven years later
It's been more than seven years since Carol Evans vanished from Troup County and investigators still don't know what happened to her. Evans, a retired teacher, suffers from Alzheimer's and Troup County deputies believe she walked away from her home on Nov. 10, 2017 and never came back. But crews haven't given up hope. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Earlier this week, sheriff's office investigators returned to Evans' property to search it once again. They used heavy machinery and a cadaver dog on a small, swamp-like area of an adjacent property. Despite spending two days searching the area, Evans' remains still have not been found. TRENDING STORIES: US Postal Service says it has suspended inbound packages from China, Hong Kong North GA deputies called to shooting, but find house burning down with body inside Atlanta-based designer featured in Target campaign feels 'gaslit' after DEI changes 'Alzheimer's is a bad disease. It just confuses people completely,' her husband, Bill Evans, told Channel 2 Action News after her disappearance. 'She says, 'Have you ever considered marriage?' I said, 'Yeah Carol, I married you 52 years ago,' so I got out some of the wedding pictures and showed her that kind of stuff.' He said he wished he had hired a caretaker for his wife, but she was adamant that she didn't want a babysitter. The case remains open and the sheriff's office says anyone with information that could assist them should contact them at 706-883-1616. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
