Until his untimely death on the 17th August Nicholas Russell was a committed activist within the Labour Party in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. A biography is available on Wikipedia, but it doesn't do justice to the extent of his commitment to campaigning on behalf of the Labour Party, the Co-operative Party, and above all for the cause of disability rights. A much fuller account is given by his sister in law in an obituary in The Guardian.
As a party member in neighbouring Leyton his campaigning and activism nevertheless had a major impact in Walthamstow, and he is sorely missed. His partner Georgina, and his brother John have issued the following invitation (which can also be seen in its original form on facebook):
"Georgina Farrer and John Russell would like to extend an open invitation to Nicholas' funeral to all those people who knew or worked with him. The funeral will take place on Thursday, 4th September 2014 to start at 3.15 at the North Chapel, City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, Aldersbrook Road, London E12 5DQ.
We kindly ask people to wear one item of red and to bring a single red flower. If guests would like to make a donation, we will be supporting three charities to reflect Nicholas' political work. These are:
Whizz-kidz, a children's disability charity - www.whizz-kidz.org.uk
Stay Safe East, a local charity tackling abuse - www.staysafe-east.org.uk
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) - www.cnduk.org
The wake will be held at Waltham Forest Resources Hub (South) Disability Resources Centre at 90 Crowfield Road, London E11 2BG (wfdrc.org.uk). Food and drink has kindly been provided by the Star of India Restaurant (www.starofindiauk.com) with support from Waltham Forest Labour Party (www.walthamforestlabour.co.uk).
We look forward to seeing all of Nicholas' friends and colleagues on 4th September.
With best wishes, Georgina and John."
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