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Newbury Weekly News

Thursday, May 20, 2021

NEWBURY NEWS

Enborne woman took her own life Popular teaching assistant struggled with depression

Nothing too much trouble for vax volunteers

CAREN Cotton and Lourdes Cottam have both been given the Volunteer of the Week accolade by Newbury Vaccination Centre. The leads said they really struggled with choosing just one person or couple as volun- teer of the week, as “you have all been so amazing”. It came down to two, who happen to have very similar sounding surnames, and so the leads decided to give it to both of them. They said: “Nothing is too much trouble for either of them, they never complain and Lourdes has answered the call for help at very short notice on more than one occa- sion.” Mrs Cotton, who lives in Peasemore, said she was de- lighted and explained why she signed up as a volunteer: “I wanted to get out there and start being helpful and, let’s be honest, meet new people after spending so long in lockdown. “We are also making his- tory. What is being achieved, across the country and across the globe, will be talked about for years to come.” Mrs Cotton is originally from Northern Ireland and said the worst thing has been not being able to visit her fam- ily for two years. She said: “All being well I hope to go home in June, but volunteering at the vaccina- tion centre has shown me how lucky I am. There are so many vulnerable, sick and lonely people, but they have all been

Wade described her as “a very intelligent woman over- whelmed by thoughts of self harm... in spite of the hard work of family and friends, healthcare professionals and mental health experts.” Falkland Primary School this week paid tribute to Mrs Chami. Headteacher Lin- da Wood said: “Janice was an exceptional person who had a passion and talent for bringing out the very best in children, in particular those that struggled with speech, language and communica- tion difficulties. “Over the years she de- veloped and furthered her knowledge of the subject and she was highly regarded, not just by her colleagues but the wider school communi- ty. The children she worked with thrived and she touched many lives. “Janice was extremely pro- fessional, kind, considerate and caring. Everything she did she did to the very best of her ability and with the chil- dren’s well-being at the heart of it all. “She was a dedicated mem- ber of the Falkland team and a friend to many. What she achieved in her role will al- ways be remembered and the children whose lives she bet- tered have treasured mem- ories of the work and time they spent with Mrs Chami. “We miss her and send our very best wishes to her fami- ly and friends.”

By JOHN GARVEY john.garvey@newburynews.co.uk

A SCHOOL teaching assis- tant took her own life af- ter struggling with mental health issues. Despite the best efforts of friends, family and health workers, Janice Fiona Chami succumbed to the effects of bi- polar disorder and borderline personality disorder. An inquest into the death of the 55-year-old divorced moth- er held in Reading Town Hall on Thursday, May 13, heard how she was found dead in her home in Kingsmead, Enborne, on March 2 last year. Mrs Chami was a popular specialist teaching assistant at Falkland Primary School in Newbury. Her friend and colleague Joanna Wright told of her “dear friend” of 10 years who struggled with depression and thoughts of self harming. She said: “We became really good friends”, but added that she noticed a decline in Mrs Chami’s mental health in 2019 – “she seemed sad and like the life had left her”. The inquest heard of sev- eral attempts to take her own life, despite friends and neigh- bours rallying to help. Mrs Chami was treated as an inpatient at Prospect Park Hospital, Tilehurst, and at one point was detained under the Mental Health Act. Newbury is set to donate her ‘lockdown locks’ to the Little Princess Trust. Olivia Harper – who works for Oxfordshire County Council – will have her long hair cut tomorrow (Friday). The trust will then turn her hair into a wig for children who have lost theirs through cancer treatment, or through other conditions, such as alopecia. It normally costs £550 for the trust to make, fit and style a personalised wig, and Ms Harper has, however, now smashed her initial fundraising target, and has set a new one of £1,100 – enough for two wigs. She said: “So much work goes into making these wigs, to put a massive smile on a child’s face to make their journey that tiny bit easier. “I want to add to that – my hair has grown a lot during lockdown so why should that go to waste?” To donate towards the fundraiser, visit bit. ly/3uIUyom contributors of hair typically cover this themselves.

Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. But on March 2 last year another friend, Mandy Dyson, became concerned for her wel- fare and called police. Officers arrived to find wor- ried neighbours and friends outside her home and broke in when they received no an- swer. The body of Mrs Chami was found and a note to her daugh- ter was nearby. Assistant Berkshire coro- ner Ian Wade QC read parts into the public record in which she stated: “I’m so sor- ry to leave you, but you know I’m doing so because I really can’t bear to stay.” The remainder, said Mr Wade, was “deeply personal”. The inquest heard she was having weekly sessions with the mental health team and was under medication. A post mortem examination revealed no alcohol or illegal drugs in her system. Mr Wade said: “Cases such as this cause considerable anxiety and distress” and ac- knowledged concerns from family and friends about Mrs Chami’s medical treatment. He stressed that a Serious Incident Review conducted by the healthcare trust had not found anything lacking in her care.

Vaccine volunteers Caren Cotton and Lourdes Cottam

originally from Spain, has lived in the area for the best part of 40 years. She said: “I hadn’t thought about volun- teering until a friend suggest- ed it. But when I went to the training session I liked the idea of getting involved. “I have done everything from wiping down chairs to welcoming people and looking after the other volunteers.” Mrs Cottam said that the whole experience had been a real eye-opener. “It’s been a very positive thing and I’ve met some amazing people, al- ways cheerful, grateful and smiling,” she said. She added she has missed her grandchildren the most during lockdown and is look- ing forward to seeing more of them as restrictions ease. “I don’t know when I’ll get to see other relatives in Spain, but I look forward to that as well,” she added.

so grateful for what we do, it gives you a real buzz to see what a difference we make to people’s lives. “When you meet these peo- ple at the racecourse with so many different experiences it is quite humbling. We treat everyone with respect and dig- nity and positivity and I come away from each shift feeling I’ve done a cool thing. There’s a real sense of achievement.” During the enforced lock- down Mrs Cotton has concen- trated on creating jewellery for her online business and she said that she is also look- ing forward to craft fairs start- ing up again. She added: “I’m a people person and I love talking to and meeting with so many dif- ferent people, so I really hope I can set up stall again soon at all the lovely local craft fairs.” Mrs Cottam is a Thatcham town councillor and, although

On being discharged, the inquest heard, she received follow-up treatment and home visits from mental health pro- fessionals at the Berkshire Lopping lockdown locks for Little Princess A 23-YEAR-OLD from Concluding that Mrs Chami had taken her own life, Mr

Olivia Harper will have her hair cut tomorrow (Friday)