Pat’s funeral is this Thursday – 1 February

Santa Hats in Kings Road at 12.30 on 1 February

Friends of Pat Fisher, the visionary founder and director of Gizmo Kids are invited to wear a red hat and parade along Kings Road at 12.30 tomorrow, Thursday 1 February, to pay respects as her funeral cortege passes by. Her funeral will take place at Hastings Cemetery and Crematorium on the Ridge, at the top of Elphinstone Road.

Pat’s profound impact extended across the county, with a special focus on Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea. Her tireless commitment and unwavering dedication to enhancing children’s lives left an indelible mark on countless hearts and minds – Gizmo was one of the most visible youth projects in town. It was a dream of Pat’s to get everyone wearing santa hats in Kings Road to celebrate Christmas, so it seemed a fitting tribute to wear a red hat to mark her last journey along Kings Road.

Remembering her friend, Jude Montague said: “Pat was a great friend to everyone and really did so much – her art workshops and activities were always for the community and she would get others to pitch in, which really brought people together.

“She would sit outside the Kings Road Fish Bar with a cup of tea in the cold and talk to everyone, getting them involved in supporting each other. I heard so many stories from her about the difficulties she dealt with on behalf of others, sorting out one crisis after another, never giving in, always powering on, a total inspiration.

“I can’t believe I will no longer get to chat with her each day. She leaves a huge gap in our life on the King’s Road and beyond. It’s a great shock to us all and speaking for myself and my neighbours we will miss her terribly.”

A spokesperson for HVA said: “Everyone at HVA was saddened to hear of the recent death of Pat Fisher the founder of Gizmo – a unique local organisation offering pathways into performance for children and young people. For years Pat was the driving force behind Gizmo and its schedule of performances at local events. Through her work in the community she enabled huge numbers of young people to gain the confidence to perform for the first time – truly enabling them to find their voice.”

Gizmo Trustee, Sarah Harris, said that transport will be made available for anyone who wants to attend the funeral ceremony and is unable to make their own way up to the Elphinstone Road cemetery from Kings Road. Following the funeral, there will be a wake for Pat’s friends and family from 2.15pm at the White Rock Hotel.

From 2011 – Pat Fisher in red, with Councillors Trevor Webb, Kim Forward, Jeremy Birch, Pam Brown and Amber Rudd MP.

A heartfelt farewell will be offered at Pat’s funeral service on Thursday 1 February, at 1.15 pm, hosted at Hastings Crematorium, The Ridge, Hastings TN34 2AE. Additional details will be shared in the days to come, honouring Pat’s remarkable legacy.

Also in: Hastings People