While a family in the village of Capel St Mary is remembering their husband, father and grandfather, his loss is also being felt over four thousand miles away, by his second family in Madurai, India.
John Neville Cooper will be remembered for his kindness, his great humility and his unswerving dedication to helping others.
Neville (as he was known to friends and family) first travelled to Madurai in Tamil Nadu in 1990, as part of his work with the YMCA.
It is estimated that in Madurai, there are over 30,000 children living on the street, who survive by begging and scavenging in sewers.
This visit would have a profound effect on Neville for the rest of his life.
“Having seen the poverty, and how some of the children were living, he couldn’t just forget about it,” said Sandra Davies, a friend and colleague of Neville’s.
While he was there, Neville had met a social worker named Jim Jesudoss, who told him that he had a vision of setting up a project to work with street and slum children.
Neville decided that he must support Jim in his efforts. Once back in the UK, he established ‘NewDawn India’. This is a charity which funds Vidiyal, the project run by Jim and his wife, Dr Sharmila.
From plant and bake sales to coffee mornings and curry evenings, Neville worked tirelessly with NewDawn India to raise as much money as possible.
"Vidiyal is Tamil for ‘new dawn,’” explained Sandra, who has been working at New Dawn India since 2000. The idea, she explained, was that the project would give the children hope of building a better life- a new dawn.
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Today, over 300 children arrive at Vidiyal drop-in centres each day to receive medical care and relief. Over the years, Vidiyal has helped many children to attend school, when otherwise this would have been impossible, and even to obtain higher education.
There is even a sponsorship program run in Capel St Mary, with many residents sponsoring a child.
“A lot of people sponsor children and write to them, and the children write back,” said Sandra. “They love that. When you go out to see them, they will always ask, ‘Do you know my sponsor?’”
Neville returned to India eight times during his life, and Jim would travel to India to visit him, too. While establishing an efficient working partnership, the two became close friends, and this was a friendship both of them treasured.
In addition to building NewDawn India, Neville worked as a chartered accountant for Ballams in London Road. In 1962, he married Enid, his wife of more than 60 years.
“Neville saw a need, and he couldn’t just leave it,” said Enid. “He has helped thousands of children over the years.”
Sandra agreed. “Neville was so humble,” she said. “He never put himself forward or tried to make himself look important, and yet he was the person who had set it all up and got everything moving.
“He had a real heart for his work. He would say that he felt called to do it.
“He was a wonderful man, who has left such a legacy and made a difference to the lives of so many children. His work will continue.”
John Neville Cooper died on April 14, 2023, aged 83.
He leaves behind his wife, Enid, his children, James and Helen, and four grandchildren, Oscar, Max, Olivia and Evie.
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