Neil Avard
Our dear and much loved brother Neil Avard went to be with the Lord at the end of March, and he will be greatly missed by all of us.
He was a leading light for the Christian Action Brighton team since its inception during the pandemic, and was also directly responsible for bringing financial freedom and Christian hope to many people through his work with Christians Against Poverty (CAP).
His friend and colleague Steve Walker pays tribute to him here.
‘Positive, Cheeriness, Laughter, Inclusiveness, Fun, A blessing, Generous, Kind, Life changer’
Not my words, Not from the funeral, although some were echoed there.
These are from some of the many personal thank-you cards sent to Neil that I found in the CAP office
Having spoken to a couple of his former clients in the last week I would add ‘life saver’.
Neil was a great natural communicator I will always remember how passionately he shared the plights of some of his clients - the guy in his flat with bare walls bare floor just a sofa on which he spent all day and night on, so guilty about his debt that he didn't really go out. He was never lost for words you know he would keep the conversation going in any setting. He loved the media - and the media loved him - well the BBC did.
Steve Walker (left) and Neil Avard (right) at the Jubilee+ Conference in November 2023
Neil was an excellent CAP centre manager - always on the front foot -and prepared to go the extra mile. He made the Brighton office one of the flagship centres in the UK.
He was a great networker - he was one of the core leaders of Christian Action Brighton inspired by how a network in Bristol had helped transform the lives of people in Bristol suffering from food poverty and debt. He was able to gather the trust of people in Foodbanks, the DWP office, the recovery clinic and Emmaus so they would open up to enable him to help them via CAP or another support agency.
He was also a fantastic advocate of Acts 435 who said, “We have been so grateful for his support, enthusiasm and energy for serving those in need. He will be greatly missed by our team.”
Largely through Neil's hard work our church, Holland Road Baptist, via Acts 435 have distributed £37K in grants: Bear in mind the grants are a maximum of £200 each.
Above all Neil was a man of faith - a faith that inspired him to take action and move towards those whose lives were broken. It isn't easy work, it can sometimes be thankless - but he relished the challenge.
It was a true pleasure and privilege to work alongside him. We had a blast. He will be greatly missed. He has left a fantastic legacy - a CAP centre that is shining a light in this city. A light that we as a church are determined to remain bright for years to come.
Steve Walker, Holland Road Baptist Church