Woman killed in avalanche tragedy played "significant role" in Manchester, council leader says

The leader of Manchester City Council has paid tribute to Kate Vokes, who was killed in a French Alps avalanche along with her son Archie.

The mother and son, from Manchester, died after an avalanche swept through an off-piste section of the resort of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains near Mont Blanc on December 28.

Kate, 54, was chair of the Oglesby Charitable Trust, a director of their family-owned property company Bruntwood, deputy chair of the Royal Exchange Theatre and a trustee of charities Shared Health and Focused Care.

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Archie, 22, was a personal trainer at Form in Manchester, and in the previous year had achieved his level 1 ski instructor qualification in Canada.

Cllr Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “This is a terrible tragedy and our hearts go out to Kate and Archie's family and friends on their loss.

“Kate Vokes played a significant role in Manchester and was a great champion of many social and cultural causes in our city. She was known for her passion, commitment and energy.

"Kate was someone who believed passionately in the positive social impact that business could have, and exemplified it through her work as chair of the Oglesby Charitable Trust and her involvement with charities helping children and young people in the city.

“She was also known as committed champion of culture in Manchester and across the country, through her work with the Royal Exchange Theatre and the Bruntwood Prize.

"She will be very sadly missed. We would echo calls for her family's privacy to be respected at this extremely difficult time."

In a statement issued today, a spokesperson for the family said: “We are beyond