Groups aided by £6.3m will

A kind-hearted businessman has left more than £500,000 to good causes in his will.

Haydn Williams, joint-founder of Welshpool firm Technocover, left £6.3 million, including £100,000 each to four community groups in and around his home village of Berriew.

He also left £250,000 to Cancer Research UK. The 50-year-old had been suffering from cancer for two years when he died in May.

He left £100,000 each to Berriew Community Centre, Berriew Recreation Association, Dolfor Community Hall Trust and the Parish of St Bueno, Berriew, and £20,000 to Llifior Chapel, Pentre Llifior.Elaine Williams, his wife, said: "Hadyn had a favourite saying that his business was made through the efforts and hard work of local people and he felt it was only right he should leave money to local organisations.

"He was also a very private man. He could have gifted this money while he was alive, but chose not to do so because of the publicity it would have created."

Mr Williams founded Technocover, which specialises in access covers and security products, with business partner Jim Jones almost 15 years ago, after they were both made redundant from Jones of Oswestry, a company they later bailed out when it got into difficulties.

Mrs Williams said the success of Technocover and the money it made never changed her husband. "He was always the same," she said. "He was born and bred in Berriew and he loved the community here."

Mr Williams was a member of the church and he had a lot to do with organisations which used the community centre. He was a past chairman of the recreation association and had been involved in the new Dolfor Village Hall which he officially opened last year.

Mrs Williams said: "He used to live in Dolfor and became involved with the hall and, although he was feeling poorly at the time, was deeply honoured to have been asked to open it."

The chapel at Pentre Llifior was where his parents worshipped.

Martin Creavan, Berriew Community Centre chairman, said today: "Haydn was not just a very generous man with money, but also extremely generous with his time."

By Deborah Knox