Tributes pour in for charity stalwart Val Huxley
The local business community has been paying tribute to Val Huxley, the Co-Founder of Devizes-based People Against Poverty, who has sadly died.
Founded in 2005, People Against Poverty is a charity that works to help people find a pathway out of poverty by delivering a range of projects designed to enable self-sufficiency and a more sustainable future.
In partnership with her husband Bill, Val grew the charity’s activities in all six international countries of operation – Romania, India, Nepal, Haiti, Malawi, Tanzania and the UK.
Passionate about making a difference to those who are unable to make the difference themselves, she leaves a lasting legacy.
Val’s colleagues and friends pay homage…
Anita Jaynes, Founder, The Business Exchange
“I first met Val and Bill at a business show in Bath and it was then that they told me about their mission at People Against Poverty and its business arm, Business Against Poverty. They were so enthusiastic about the cause and the work that they wanted to do on an international scale that I signed up straight away to support them and became a media partner. I’ve supported them for all of the twelve years that I have been in business.
“In 2015, I went to Romania and was blown away by the work being done by Business Against Poverty and the impact it was having on so many lives – giving a hand up, not a handout.
“I saw everything, from eco farms being built with Business Against Poverty fundraising money to families being helped to become more sustainable and children being sponsored for their educational needs.
“Local members of our business community also sponsored children in places as far-flung as Haiti – helping and supporting children who were orphaned by the impacts of natural disasters. What you could see first-hand was very transparent and I think that’s what has made the charity so successful. It has all come from a place of love, compassion, kindness and to benefit humankind.
“To use the Welsh word, Val would ‘cwtch’ you up from the moment she met you. She was warm affectionate and a wonderful woman. She has left an outstanding legacy of which her family can be so proud – I’m thinking of Bill and her children and grandchildren at this time.
“I would like to say thank you to Val for opening my eyes to things that are going on in the world. It’s so easy in our day-to-day lives to just be and not be fully aware of what’s going on. But by visiting a project I got to see first-hand how some people really do suffer in the most awful poverty.”
Ben Veal, Second Mountain Comms
“I first met Val and Bill fifteen years ago at West Wilts Vineyard Church. I remember them telling me about their charity, People against Poverty and its mission — and I couldn’t believe the impact that the charity was having globally. I knew immediately that I wanted to get involved, and I jumped at the chance to lend a hand on the social media front to help spread the good word. Fast forward to 2020, and when I took the plunge and founded my own business during that very strange year, I knew immediately that I wanted to work with People against Poverty again and I reached out to Val.
“Even though a few years had passed since we’d last had a long conversation together, Val instantly welcomed me into the fold and I soon became a trustee for the charity, a position that I will always be very proud of. I have so much admiration and respect for Val’s passion for helping other people, and her genuine desire to empower and support others — many of us talk about changing the world and leaving it in a better place than we first found it, but Val Huxley walked the talk. She is one of the most inspiring people I have ever been blessed to know, and I am grateful to have called her a friend. She will be greatly missed by us all, but her legacy lives on in People Against Poverty.”
Graham Massey and Steve Fuller, Co-Founders, The House
A Tribute to Val
We will remember the brand.
We will remember the Balls.
We will remember the business.
But above all, we will remember Val.
Her passion for those in poverty burned brightly, never wavering. Val understood the “why” and the “what” of the mission, and she trusted in partnerships — in those who knew the “how” — to bring lasting change.
With husband Bill, she built People Against Poverty on a belief. Belief that it was in our collective power to change things at a local level, and, when she asked for help, it was always with such conviction and grace that saying no wasn’t an option.
She lived up to her name — from the French valere, meaning strength. She was undaunted, faithful, courageous, warm, and funny. Who among us will ever forget the sound of her voice, the sparkle in her eye, or that unforgettable smile?
Val made us laugh.
Val made us cry.
Val made us think twice.
She changed us — and the world — for the better.
Nicholas and Lucy Wylde, Wylde Jewellers
“Val was a woman on a mission, and she truly achieved something to be proud of. She made a real difference to so many lives with her fundraising, but it was her personal warmth and care for each individual that set her apart.
“This wasn’t ordinary fundraising. Val’s passion was genuine and infectious, and it inspired everyone around her to care just as deeply.
She was one of those rare people you simply admire—and she will be deeply missed.”
Ali Stewart, Director | Principal Executive Coach, Ali Stewart & Co
“Val was a shining light, a beacon of love and hope for so many. She moved heaven and earth to help the poorest people in pockets across the world. She encouraged them to dream big, and to work out what was needed to create brighter futures for everyone. She was full of fun, life and passion … an amazing mother, grandmother and inspiration to us all.”
Peter Hirsch, Managing Director, Total Bathrooms
“Val was a true inspiration. I loved her enthusiasm for life, her huge heart, which had enough love inside for all those that needed it, and her infectious smile. There is a Val-sized hole in my heart, with the only consolation being the lovely memories and the marvellous legacy she has left us with!”
Chris May, Founder, Mayden
“During my term as Director of Strategy for Business Against Poverty, I got used to seeing Val in tears. Never ever have I known anyone with so much compassion for the people she was trying to support. She never stopped fighting for them.”
Joanne Rolliston – Partner, TPS Recruitment
“I’ll never forget the first time I met Val. It was at the Bath Expo, and she lit up the room the moment she walked in as she always did. We had never met before, but within minutes, I’d signed my husband up for a parachute jump to raise money for her charity. That was Val—charismatic, passionate, and utterly inspiring. It was just the beginning of getting to know her and Bill.
“Her dedication to BaP and PaP moved me to tears more than once. Her desire to help others was unwavering, always delivered with a radiant smile and that infectious laugh. Val leaves behind a powerful legacy. Her Quiz and Curry fundraisers have become cherished social highlights, and now we’re proudly filling tables with the next generation.
“Family meant everything to Val. As a devoted wife to Bill always by her side, mother, and grandmother, she was always talking about her family, and her pride and love in them shone through every conversation. Her faith in God was a guiding light in her life, and you could feel that strength and peace in everything she did.
“She leaves a huge hole, and I feel truly privileged to have known her—and to have called her my friend.
“Rest in peace, Val.”
