Jo Beamish Memorial Fund

Jo Beamish was my late wife and we are setting up a memorial fund in her name. Many of you will know that Jo worked at St Peter’s High School in Gloucester for twenty-two years until her untimely death from cancer in September 2021.

Jo’s first trip abroad was when she was in Junior School. It was this trip to Paris that started a love for foreign travel, experiencing new cultures and of course, learning other languages that never left her. This progressed into having French and German penfriends and exchange trips to France.

Whilst at university Jo not only spent a summer holiday working at a hotel in Germany but also had a year out in France. Jo had a wonderful time, saying that in Germany all the hotel guests wanted her to speak English, rather than German, so they could practise their language skills when it should have been Jo practising hers!

Not only did this influence Jo’s career choice of becoming a foreign languages teacher, culminating in becoming head of languages at St Peter’s High School, but also a passion for travelling and experiencing as many places as possible. It was also a fantastic opportunity for meeting new people, making new friends and creating great memories.

Jo always knew how important those early school trips abroad had been in shaping her and understanding that there is a great big world out there full of wonderful people and exciting opportunities. She was passionate about this and wanted her pupils to have the same experiences. For that reason, Jo organised many educational school trips to France, Italy and Spain and also the annual ski trips to Austria whilst at St Peter’s High School.

Jo always came back from these trips brimming with positivity and immediately started making arrangements for the next one. I know how much these trips were enjoyed by all those that went on them, and how for some it impacted future life decisions, from all the lovely messages Jo received from both current and ex-pupils when she was ill.

For this reason, we are setting up a Jo Beamish Memorial Fund to assist disadvantaged pupils at St Peter’s School in Gloucester. The fund aims to pay for one or two pupils to go on educational foreign trips abroad arranged by the school each year. Shaun Wall, Debbie Wall, Vicky Mason and I will be walking a 190-mile section of the Camino De Santiago over two weeks in May and June of this year. Jo had discussed walking the Camino De Santiago with me before she became ill and it will be wonderful to accomplish this in her memory. We will start from Leon on the 28 May and arrive at Santiago de Compostela on the 9 June. Family and friends will also be joining us for part of the way.

Please note, all costs associated with the walk will be paid for by the four of us including accommodation, food and travel. This will ensure that all money raised through the generosity of all those sponsoring us will go into the memorial fund.

I know that Jo would be thrilled to think that she has left a lasting memory and legacy behind and that some pupils will benefit from our fund-raising efforts and your kindness.