A WOMAN who set up a charity fund in honour of her late husband is set to help boost voluntary and community groups across north Essex.

The Tinneveld Family Fund was established by the Essex Community Foundation (ECF) thanks to the generosity of Joy Tinneveld and late husband Theo, who was born in the Netherlands.

The couple, who were married for 48 years and they both ran a farm in Elmstead Market.

After Joy leftgraduated from college she opened her own dance studio in Clacton but also taught in Brightlingsea, Dovercourt, Elmstead Market and Wivenhoe.

She also ran keep fit classes in Colchester.

Joy first met Theo in 1962 when she was travelling home after teaching a ballet class in Dovercourt.

“This handsome man came and sat near to me,” she said.

“He had missed his boat train after being held up at customs. We started chatting and got on well, so we decided we would write to each other.”

Theo, whose family ran a smallholding in Holland, had been on one of his regular visits to England to improve his English.

The couple enjoyed a two-year courtship before marrying in 1964 at St Peter’s Church in Colchester.

“We had a very busy life together running the farm and I still had my dance studio and classes,” said Joy, who now lives in Wivenhoe.

“As well as managing the farm Theo developed an interest in stocks and shares. Finance was his passion and he became a member of Lloyds of London.

“We were very blessed in many ways and were involved in several different aspects of the community.

“I am very pleased that our fund with ECF will be doing some good in the places where we lived and worked, and I think Theo would have been very proud of that too.”

Joy and Theo’s successful life together has provided the cash for the fund to be established with ECF in their name. Their legacy will provide ongoing support to voluntary groups, organisations and activities promoting physical and mental well-being for people of all ages.