Clive Francis Lacey
4th July 1946 - 24th July 2020
One of Seaford’s most avid supporters, Clive Lacey, has died, leaving behind a legacy of public awareness of the charity which he cofounded to support the town’s young people. The Youth Counselling Project began as a result of a conversation four years ago with Judy Renihan of The House who was concerned about the number of school-age children needing therapy. She asked Clive and his wife Rosalind if they would be interested in starting up a charity to find counsellors. Julia Hancock and Mairin Colleary were persuaded to cofound The Youth Counselling Project, which now helps up to 70 students a year from Seaford schools. Clive’s role was to spread the word about the aims of TYCP, and to persuade them to bring in much needed cash to help pay for counselling services. Clive excelled in this role and it is largely down to him that support has been received from such sources as the two town Rotary clubs, the town council via Mayors’ charities and local people running events. Clive was a well-known and colourful figure, often on his electric tricycle, and it is a tribute to his stoicism that he had pedalled from their home in Edinburgh Road to Newhaven and Seaford Sailing Club for lunch on the day before he died of a heart attack. Clive was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at the age of 52 and had since had a leg amputated, as well as suffering other problems associated with his illness. But he never let it get him down and no matter how much pain he was in he was always kind and considerate. He was never seen without a welcoming smile on his face. He was born in the Medway town of Chatham. His mother had brought him up on her own and he spent weekends with his father. Aged 16, he got himself a job as a shipping clerk with Kimberly Clark in Aylesford then, to help fund a car, also became a cinema usher. He was
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then recruited as a trainee manager and was Deputy Cinema Manager of Grenada’s Maidstone picture house when Rosalind met him in 1969. He was soon to be ticked off for his breezy informality, as a result of which Rosalind was slightly taken aback when she called him Clive only to have him insist, ‘It’s Mr Lacey.’ He quickly found an opportunity to apologise, however, and they were married in 1971, first living in Chatham and then moving to near Gillingham. For many years he was a lay preacher with the New Apostolic Church. He worked for Kimberly Clark, and Dun and Bradstreet for many years, concluding his career in 2010 as Managing Director of credit information company Graydon UK. When Ros retired two years later they decided they needed an adventure and set about finding a home by the sea. Their search all along the south coast from Deal to Bognor finally brought them to Seaford, where a cup of coffee outside a Broad Street café and friendly eye contact from strangers made them realise this was the place to be. They knew no one and, says Rosalind, used Seaford Scene as their bible, finding their first friends, Lindsay and Arwyn Thomas, through an advertisement for garden design. They joined Archway Choir, - ‘one of the best decisions we made,’ says Rosalind - and Clive gave business management support to Nick Mallinson at Seahaven FM. Then came The Youth Counselling Project. ‘He talked about it the whole time,’ says Rosalind. ‘What he liked about Seaford was that everyone’s got time for you. Everyone knew him on his electric trike. We had so many friends.’ Clive and Rosalind had taken leave of absence from TYCP at the beginning of January to go on a world cruise and managed 50 days of it, reaching the Marquesas before he became unwell. They flew home from Sydney in late February and his health deteriorated from that point. Clive was a talented artist, sketching his grandchildren – he adored his family – and painting in watercolours and acrylics. Most of all, says Ros, he was a promotor of the town’s benefits. Cremation took place at Woodvale, Brighton on 19th August, family flowers only with donations to The Youth Counselling Project. Clive also leaves daughters Simone and Kate, son Paul, and three grandchildren. Andrea Hargreaves Photo: Clive and Rosalind Lacey
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