Champion of the elderly Graham Reeves has died aged 82.

Graham, founder of Carebus Community Transport and mastermind behind Trafalgar Court nursing home, passed away at Royal Berkshire Hospital on July 8.

Carebus grew from a secondhand minibus parked in Reeves’ Englefield home to a fleet of accessible buses and cars providing a transport lifeline for the elderly in West Berkshire.

"Graham's philosophy was a simple one - what can I do for the community to enhance people's lives," said his wife Lizzie Reeves.

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His work with Carebus would earn him the West Berkshire Council's Community Champions Award in 2018 after 33 years running the service.

Graham was instrumental in the development of Trafalgar Court in Theale, which provided assisted living to the eldertly.

Among its first residents were clients from Waylands Hospital, Bradfield Southend, after it closed down.

Born in Reading in 1939, Graham worked in various sales and accounting roles in the town before joining the James Butcher Housing Association in 1977 where he remained until 1990.

He was Founder and Chief Executive of the Englefield Residential Homes Association for the next six years, before running the transport operations for both the Berkshire Red Cross and Berkshire Community Council.

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Other roles included Chair of the Housing Committee at Bradfield Rural District Council and Newbury District Council between 1970 and 1976; Chair of Theale Parish Council between 1968 and 1973 and again between 1995 and 2000.

He was a Governor of Theale CofE Primary School from 1996 until recently, and both Treasurer and a leading member of a number of groups including Theale History Club; Theale Tea Club; Theale CanDoIt Club; Theale Social Club; Bradfield and Theale Youth Clubs; and Englefield Social Club.

Donations in memory of Graham may be made to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance or to Carebus.

Graham is survived by his wife Lizzie, children Teresa and Robert; grandchildren Holly, Lewis, and Anna; and great-grandson George.

Following a private cremation, a memorial event is planned for the autumn.