- Meeting room at the Elizabeth Bradford Business Centre named in memory of Richard Hughes
- Tribute recognises decades of leadership at Tamworth Co-operative Society and service to the community
- Historic Colehill building, former home of Tamworth Co-op, will display naming plaque outside meeting room
Tamworth Borough Council is formally naming one of its meeting rooms in the Elizabeth Bradford Business Centre in memory of Richard Hughes; former Tamworth Co-operative Society CEO.
Richard Hughes sadly passed away August 2025 following a short illness. He served as CEO from January 1993 until his retirement in 2009, having first joined Tamworth Co-op in 1976. The meeting room naming recognises Richard’s decades of service to the co-operative movement and the wider Tamworth community.
The newly named Richard Hughes meeting room sits within the Elizabeth Bradford Business Centre on Colehill; formerly home to Tamworth Co-operative Society for more than 120 years. A plaque and photograph honouring Richard will be displayed outside the meeting room wall and will be unveiled later this spring.
As part of Tamworth Borough Council’s Future High Street Fund regeneration programme, the 19th-century former Co-op building has been sensitively restored and now provides 14 offices set across three floors, alongside meeting rooms, kitchens, lift access and hot-desking facilities designed to support modern businesses. With a key focus of building restoration to protect and celebrate the building’s historic character; original features including stained glass windows, exposed brickwork, wooden beams and a striking ornamental staircase, have all been carefully preserved.
Richard was heavily involved in many aspects of local life. In addition to his leadership within the Co-operative Society, he held non-executive roles with organisations including National Co-operative Chemists and St John’s Ambulance (Wilnecote division). He also served as a governor at the Heart of England NHS Trust, was a member of Tamworth Borough Council’s member nominations committee, and was president of Tamworth Male Voice Choir.
In later years, Richard dedicated much of his time to charitable work, supporting organisations such as Tamworth Heritage Trust, Home-Start, Kingslake Charitable Trust, Number Eight, Mercian Singers, Tamworth Talking Newspaper and Rawlett Trust.
Ann, Richard’s wife, said: “It is very thoughtful to name this room in Richard’s memory, in the building he spent so much of his business life, not forgetting the many charities and community groups he supported in his own time.”
Councillor Nova Arkney, portfolio holder for infrastructure, and local economy, said: “Richard Hughes was a true champion of Tamworth. His leadership, generosity and unwavering commitment to community values made a real and lasting difference to people’s lives.
“Naming this meeting room in his honour is a small but meaningful way to recognise the enormous contribution he made to our town.”
Councillor Carol Dean, Leader of Tamworth Borough Council said: “It’s fitting that a meeting room within the Elizabeth Bradford Business Centre, a building so closely linked to the history of Tamworth Co-operative Society, will bear Richard’s name. His leadership, integrity and community spirit embody the very values this building represents - enterprise, collaboration and service.”
The naming of the Richard Hughes meeting room ensures that his contribution to Tamworth’s civic and charitable life will be remembered by future generations of businesses and community groups who use the building.
For media enquiries contact: communications@tamworth.gov.uk
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