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Tributes to Norfolk Christian social action pioneer 

Tributes have been paid to Norfolk Christian social action pioneer Theresa Cumbers, who was instrumental in the launch of the Magdalene Group and STEP in Norwich and Sharel in Beccles. Keith Morris reports.

Theresa died suddenly at home on March 26, aged 79 and although she had health issues, her death came as a great shock to her family and friends, said close friend and colleague Doreen Betts.
 
Doreen paid tribute saying: “I first met Theresa when we were serving as magistrates on the Norwich bench, however, my main contact with her was when we worked together for over ten years to establish the Magdalene Group a Christian charity in the city working with prostitutes. Theresa was the CEO and I was the Chair of Trustees.
 
“Theresa was one powerful lady. She was an entrepreneur, with a faith in God which was inspiring to those who knew her. Under her leadership the Magdalene Group became recognised as a model of excellence by the client group, volunteers, funders and many statutory agencies.
 
“The driving force in Theresa’s life was her God-given compassion and love for the working girls and the men who pimped them. She was a ‘hands on’ person and would go into the girls’ homes and show them how to clean, she would find furniture for them, replace worn out carpets, scrub floors and clean disgusting toilets, to show them God’s love. Theresa believed in them and supported them to restore their dignity and find hope for the future.
 
“Her life touched many people who are seen as hard to love. Her legacy is in the broken lives of those who found Jesus to be their Lord and Saviour. Although Theresa’s death brings sadness to many she is now living in the fullness of all she believed for and served so selflessly to share, the love of Christ with many who in the world’s eyes are unclean and untouchable,” said Doreen.
 
Theresa was born and raised in the East End of London. She was the youngest of nine children and experienced first-hand the problems of poverty from a young age, never forgetting the love and support network found in her family and her East End community.
 
Theresa trained in secretarial and business administration skills and worked for an international publishing company. In 1983 she experienced great pain and sadness when her husband John was killed in a road traffic accident, leaving her to raise two young children, Estelle was then 11 years old and Benjamin was 8.
 
As well as her key role in the Magdalene Group, Theresa was a founder member/trustee of ‘Beyond the Streets’ (National Christian Alliance on Prostitution) and latterly Christian charities STEP Norwich and Sharel community hub in Beccles.
 
Since her retirement in March 2006 Theresa also started to write her first book. Low Cost – High Price, published in 2010, written in the hopes of changing people’s perception of those working in the sex industry, mainly those who work on the streets – her book tells of the heartache and successes of women involved in the lifestyle and some success stories.

A private burial will take place with a Thanksgiving Service at a later date.
 
Read some of our previous stories about Theresa.

magdalenegroup.org
 
www.stepnorwich.org.uk
 
www.theresacumbers.co.uk

Pictured above is Theresa Cumbers. Picture by Keith Morris.


Please add your memories of and tributes to Theresa below or send to keith.morris@networknorwich.co.uk

 

Feedback:
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(Guest) 09/04/2020 13:46
A very special lady! Our love and prayers are with the family!
(Guest) 09/04/2020 16:04
Sad to hear this. Our commiserations and prayers are for her family
Julie (Guest) 09/04/2020 19:17
Theresa helped me on many occasions. She was a truly inspirational lady. Rip.
(Guest) 09/04/2020 19:39
You helped so many ladies, and it was a pleasure to work with you helping some of these ladies when you started the STEP group. You were an inspirational leader and youwill be missed by us all.
(Guest) 10/04/2020 07:59
An amazing lady with a big heart. She has touched so many lives. Love and prayers to her family at this time
Jill Gower, Call to Prayer (Guest) 13/04/2020 14:35
Theresa was a great inspiration to us all, who worked tirelessly for the Kingdom. A very dear and lovely lady and will be much missed
Shirley Newstead (Guest) 16/04/2020 09:00
Theresa was a wonderful lady.. And a great inspiration.. Also a very good friend who will be forever missed
(Guest) 21/04/2020 09:29
Sad to hear this news. Theresa was one of the co-founders of Beyond the Streets and has been a great inspiration to many. She will be missed but the impact of her life continues in many places and in many lives
Ben cumbers (Guest) 15/05/2020 18:21
My mum was the most amazing,strong ,powerful, compassionate and inspirational woman. The hole she has left in my heart will never be healed. I didn't know many of the people she worked with or helped but I know there are many. Its lovely to read the kind words written about her. There will be a celebration of her life at a later date. Thank you all for the comments. Ben.
Owen Watkinson (Guest) 20/11/2023 09:48
I know this is a bit late, I knew that Theresa had gone to be with the Lord but I’ve only just come across this page. I had the privilege of doing the soup run with her on a few occasions and and going round to check on her girls out working making sure they were safe and looked after. Compassion just flowed out of her, such a giving and accommodating lady. She even welcomed me with open arms when I turned up on her doorstep one afternoon when out for a bike ride.
She was a living example of the Gospel.
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Published: 09/04/2020


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