Valerie Platt, partner at RSN Associates, passed away on 3 December 2012 and her funeral will be held on Monday 17 December.
Val was well known in the road safety profession having worked on many projects for local authority road safety teams. She was also the lead presenter and facilitator on the Road Safety GB Phase 2 Road Safety Officer Training course.
In a statement on the RSN website, her business partner Dr Andrew Clayton said: "Val and I had worked together for 25 years, initially at BITER, The British Institute of Traffic Education Research, before we jointly set up RSN Associates in 2000. She was well known throughout the road safety movement, and many road safety officers have attended the Phase II or other training courses with which she will always be remembered.
"Apart from her training work, she was a skilled researcher and worked closely with many local authorities in the development and evaluation of a variety of road safety initiatives.
"I have lost a good friend and valued colleague."
Val will be also greatly missed by her colleagues at TMS Consultancy and her many friends and associates within the road safety profession.
Our sympathies are extended to her family at this sad time. A full obituary will be published here in due course.
For more information please contact James Gibson 0116 305 6166.
Funeral arrangements: Val’s funeral will be held at 11.00am on Monday 17 December at Bentley Crematorium, Ongar Road, Pilgrim’s Hatch, Essex CM15 9RX. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to St Luke’s Hospice (Basildon and Thurrock) via: http://www.justgiving.com/Val-Platt
Thank you all for your comments. She was a very special person.
Steve Platt
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I am so sad to hear of Val’s death and my thoughts are with her family. Like everyone here, I worked with Val on many training courses and remember the fun as well as the hard work! I have lost a friend.
Liz, London Borough of Hounslow
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Our thoughts are with Val’s family, a true professional.
Noel Gibbons, Road safety Officer, Mayo ,Ireland
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Such sad news. Val was such a lovely lady. I too have fond memories of the Phase 2 and other courses that I met her on. A true professional.
Liz Rickards
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This is a great shame; Val also delivered my Biter training course. That course was early on in my road safety career and really lit a Road Safety fire in my belly! I am sure over the years she has inspired many and we wouldn’t be the same if we hadn’t met her. On a personal level she was a lovely lady!
Elaine Beadle- London Borough of Bromley
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Like so many others I first met Val on my Phase II course nearly 25 years ago. Sad news indeed – such a lovely lady and so dedicated to road safety education. My condolences to her family and friends.
Lyn Morris, Carmarthenshire
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I am so sorry to hear of Val’s death – I loved her ‘can do’ positive and professional approach. She was a delight to work with and the road safety world will miss her.
Wendy Broome – ex Hertfordshire
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I first met Val in 1989 whilst working for Birmingham City Council, when I was persuaded by her and Andrew to contribute to the first ever “BITER” (Phase 2) course. Since then I have contributed to every Phase 2 course bar one, and Val has been there every time. Val was the model professional, always setting very high standards for herself and others, but never forgetting the human side too. She put the delegates first, sorting out their requirements before she relaxed each evening. Over the years I got to know Val well, and all of us here at TMS were deeply saddened to receive the news of her death. Our thoughts go out to Steve and her family at this very tough time. Thank you Val for your hard work and friendship, you will be greatly missed.
Steve Oroctor, Director, tms consultancy
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Having known Val for nearly all my career in Road Safety since 1987 it doesn’t seem possible that I won’t bump into her at seminars, conferences and trainings anymore. I can only echo everyone elses comments of what a lovely lady Val was and send my sincere sympathys to those closest to her at this very sad time. Sleep well Val.
Paula Wellings, Cornwall
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My thoughts and prayers are with Val and her family at this sad time.
Michael McDonnell, Road Safety Scotland
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I met Val on a Phase 2 course held in Birmingham some years ago now and she was a delightful lady to know. She made the course interesting as well as entertaining. She will be missed.
Emily Tester, Brighton & Hove City Council
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Just a lovely lady. I worked with Val on a project in primary schools in my early years in this profession in the late 80s, she was always friendly, keen to have a catch up and was a true professional. I attended the very first Phase 11 training which I remember fondly. Val will be sadly missed by all who knew her.
Gillian Beale, Essex
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I am so shocked to read the very sad news of Val’s passing. My sincere condolences go to her family. With fond memories over many years in road safety. She will be sadly missed.
Theresa, Hertfordshire
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As Nigel Horsley has said it is difficult to know quite where to start. I have known Val for really as long as I can remember and have fond memories of spending evenings with her at various conferences. A real lovely talented person who will be sadly missed. I send my thoughts to the family and all those who worked closely with her both in the past and currently.
Graham Feest – AIRSO Secretary
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My thoughts are with Val’s family and friends. I remember with fondness the Phase II training I undertook at Stratford.
Sue Murdoch
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So sorry to hear this. I remember Val from my Phase II training and other TMS courses, what a lovely lady! My condolences to her family.
Ros Pluck, Cleveland Police
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I’ll always remember Val with great fondness and respect, and my thoughts at this time are with those who were closest to her. Val made an outstanding contribution and leaves a legacy not just to the road safety community, but also to everyone who was lucky enough to have met her as the first-class trainer and excellent researcher that she was.
I’ll miss her eloquence, humour and kind smile very much indeed.
Matt, Cambridgeshire
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This is indeed very sad news. I remember Val coming all the way to the North East to deliver training for us. She was so helpful and full of fun, but always maintained her professionalism. She will be greatly missed by everyone who was fortunate enough to know her.
Alan Kennedy, Chairman Road Safety GB
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Difficult to know quite where to start. So many of us will be deeply saddened by the news of Val’s death. I first met Val a couple of weeks into my career in road safety, back in 1989. I worked with her on many occasions, not least on those Phase 2 training courses. I loved her warmth, her wit and her wisdom. She was always keen to chat about her family and, most recently of her grandson, Edward. Did she have a failing, well yes, she would always try to insist that Tottenham Hotspur was a better football club than Leicester City!
Nigel Horsley. Leicestershire County Council
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Sincere condolences to Val’s family, friends and colleagues for their loss. This is indeed a very sad day. It was my pleasure to know and work with Val, during the last 25 years. She was a special lady, whose contribution to the profession has been immense – she will leave behind a huge gap. With deepest sympathy.
Ann Marie Bailey, Driver Training Officer, Cambridgeshire County Council
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So shocked and saddened to hear this news. I first worked with Val in Barking and Dagenham and attended the Phase 2 course. She will be greatly missed. Thoughts are with her family at this time.
Keith Gammon – Buzz Road Safety Education
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So sad to hear the news of Val’s passing. I have such fond memories of her. She was so enthusiastic and such a warm and lively person. My thoughts are with her family and close friends at this very sad time. Rest in peace.
Anne James, Buckinghamshire
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I am so sad to hear this news – one is never adequately prepared to lose those one feels as one’s own. My condolences to Val’s family and, in particular, her husband and children. Fortunately, Doris and I have many fond memories – particularly of the times when she stayed with us at our home in Scopwick and joined in our evening training runs. God Bless You, Val!
Brian, Road Safety GB
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Val was a terrific lady with a dry sense of humour and bursting with good, practical ideas. Suffolk Road Safety benefited from her input over the years, both as a researcher and trainer. A very sad loss.
Mike Motteram, Suffolk County Council
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Desperately sad news to hear of Val’s untimely death. I was aware from Andrew that she was seriously ill. I will always remember Val fondly as a tutor on my first road safety course and also for the robust research work that she wholehearted undertook in Scotland over a long number of years. She will be sadly missed by all of us that had the pleasure of knowing her.
Bill Smith, dbda
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Our thoughts are with Val’s family. She was a delight to work with and was always professional, thorough and innovative. One of the joys of presenting on the Phase 2 course was an evening in the bar putting the Road Safety world to rights. Val will be missed as a colleague and friend.
Iain Temperton – Norfolk
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My thoughts are also with Val’s family at a very sad time. I was fortunate enough to have the priviledge to work with Val a number of times and admired her professional yet friendly approach and committment to doing the very best. I will be only one of many who will miss her. It’s a sad day.
David Northampton
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