'A great loss to Littlehampton' - Tributes paid to community stalwart Terry Ellis

Well-known Littlehampton resident Terry Ellis has died at the age of 81.

Born-and-bred in London, Terry moved to the West Sussex coast with his partner Deborah Hallford in 2011.

Terry became involved in a number of campaigns and groups, such as the Civic Society (now known as the Littlehampton Society), Littlehampton Heritage Group and Rampion 2 campaign. He regularly presented the Littlehampton Society’s Countryside Awards.

The father-of-two was also actively involved in the Arun Access Group for the disabled and, until last year, was on the committee of the PPG for the Coppice and Angmering Medical Centre.

Deborah said she felt a sense of pride for Terry and his achievements.

She added: “We met in London and we had been together about 38 years.

"He was wanting to get involved in things, particularly when we moved to Littlehampton. He was doing all sorts of things.

“He liked to keep busy and he really enjoyed getting involved in campaigns and things like that.”

Deborah said Terry had a ‘drive to help people’.

“The first thing he got involved with was saving the Windmill [Cinema], when it was going to be closed down,” she explained.

“Then he got involved in setting up a community charter with the Civic Society because we were both members of that.

“Then it was gradually all sorts of different things. He was always attending council meetings wanting to know what was going on. More recently, he was chairman of the Littlehampton Heritage Group.

“He was also involved with the group looking at the Rampion wind farm.

"He cut back in the last couple of years on a lot of things because of his health but those were the two things he was still involved in.”

Terry was still chairman of the heritage group up until his death at the age of 81.

Deborah added: “He was always doing something. Prior to Covid, it was his life, going to every council meeting and always on the phone to people and on various committees.

“There's lots and lots of people that will remember him and know him well.”

Littlehampton Gazette columnist Chris Adam Smith (Whispering Smith) was a close friend of Terry.

He wrote: “Saddened by the news last week when I heard of the passing of Terry Ellis, a great loss to his friends and to Littlehampton as a whole.

"Terry was a knowledgeable man and always happy to share that knowledge. He was also a very kind and generous man who, during lockdown when I was immobile for a few weeks, kept me in wine, ale and cream crackers!

"In this New Year we had intended a day visit to a little-known monastery he had discovered; it would have been an interesting and enjoyable outing. My condolences to Terry’s family and my sincere thanks for the knowing of the man.”

Angela Tester, who worked with Terry at the Littlehampton Society, was another close friend.

She said: “I would like to pay tribute to Terry Ellis for his amazing support for the Littlehampton (Civic) Society over the years.

"Notably our part in the fight to keep the Windmill Cinema and Theatre, also to keep our swimming pool on its site, and to set up our Flood Action Group for residents after the awful 2012 flood.

“We managed to get details of every flooded home, and challenged the councils, Southern Water, and the Environment Agency over their policies.

"We gained funds for physical flood prevention gates installed behind South Terrace and bore holes in the town to measure ground water. Then flood sacks, flood barrier and a portable pump for Rope Walk.

"Terry was constant in supporting our ‘Rain Garden’ flood relief project, which engaged school children and Scouts, and for which we were awarded a Countryside Award at Petworth House.

"Terry was passionate in the society’s objections against building homes on flood plains, even walking flooded fields due to be built on.

"He was a key member of our small group, including East Beach Residents, who produced the unique community charter, to give local residents a voice.

"We spent many days on the High Street together, engaging local people with this project.

"The community charter was a response to nearly losing the Windmill to Arun District Council plans for a hotel on the site, and seeing the great distress and frustration as local people realised they hardly had any voice over their important leisure facilities being sold off, and such little time to address it!

“The charter was lodged with county, district and town councils as a live document to be referred to in similar issues.

"As an amenity charity, we realised that this was a fight we had to engage with, and led marches through the town, including to hand in the large petition we started, and gathered in such a short time.

“We stopped the traffic, engaged the media: television, radio, and press, worked with other groups, and the people and town councillors who supported.

"So we won the day, proving that a community can do so much more when we join together for a cause.

"Terry even worked with the Arun Access Group, for rights of the disabled to enter restaurants, shops, and housing.

"As secretary of the society for several years, I couldn’t have managed half of what we achieved for the community, but for Terry’s unstinting support.”

Terry leaves behind two sons, Kris and Spencer, sister Christene and brother-in-law Michael.