A service to remember Becky Dykes
Statements from International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt and Becky's family.
International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:
Rebecca provided the means for life for people she cared for - water to the people of Babliyeh, the means to grow produce for those in Adousiyeh, and peace and resilience for Syrian and Palestinian refugees.
Her joy in her work was evident throughout her career, whether it was her elation on learning she was to be part of the stabilisation unit or her happiness just hours before her death knowing that she had secured the future of a project providing social stability to young people across Lebanon.
Rebecca changed thousands of lives for the better, and if we judge her life on those achievements, she achieved a lifetime’s worth.
Through the foundation her family have set up, which will focus on continuing Rebecca’s important humanitarian work with refugees, as well as empowering women and preventing violence against them, her impression on this world will be a lasting one.
In a statement, the family said:
In the weeks and months since Rebecca’s death, we have been deluged with supportive messages from her friends and colleagues, which have brought us a great deal of comfort.
The incredible attendance at her memorial service today is testament to Rebecca’s passion, energy and enthusiasm, which touched everyone she encountered.
Rebecca loved her work, and we want to ensure that it continues in her name.
We are raising funds to establish the Rebecca Dykes Foundation, which will focus on humanitarian and stabilisation work for refugees and other vulnerable communities, with a particular emphasis on female empowerment and the prevention of violence against women.
We are planning a series of fundraising events, and have secured a large number of places at the Great North Run, in September, for people to run for Rebecca. She loved running, and had completed two marathons in under four hours, with very little training.
Help us to ensure that Rebecca’s legacy lives on. Please donate at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rebecca-j-dykes