A Swindon woman has secured a permanent tribute to her late mother at Nationwide Building Society’s Oakfield development, after asking her employer to consider honouring the teacher whose sudden death shocked the community nearly a decade ago.
Curtis Walk has now been officially named in recognition of Linda Curtis, a dedicated Swindon teacher who died unexpectedly in 2016. Linda had visited her GP with a bad cough, was diagnosed with lung cancer shortly afterwards, and tragically passed away three weeks later. The community described her as a much-loved teacher, respected by colleagues and pupils, whose loss left a deep impact on all who knew her.
Her daughter, Emma Bunce, works for Nationwide, based in Swindon, and had previously submitted her mother’s name during the consultation period for street names at Oakfield. But the emotional weight of the decision only became clear this week, when she spotted “Curtis Walk” on a project map at a workplace event and asked the onsite team for confirmation.
Later that day, she received a message confirming that the street had indeed been named after her mother, directly linked to her earlier submission.
Emma said the moment “stopped her in her tracks”.
“My mum poured her energy and love into teaching, and her pupils were always at the centre of her world. Her sudden loss was devastating, and the pain lingers even now. To know she is honoured here, woven into the fabric of a new neighbourhood, is deeply moving. Curtis Walk is more than a signpost, it is a symbol of her legacy.”
The Oakfield project is Nationwide’s flagship community-led housing development, aiming to create a neighbourhood shaped by local identity and collaboration. Naming a street after a teacher who devoted her life to Swindon’s children reflects that ethos, while giving residents a meaningful story behind one of the estate’s key routes.
A daughter choosing to speak up, an employer choosing to listen, and a community gaining a tribute that roots the new development in real local history.
For Emma, it is a moment of connection and pride. For Oakfield’s future residents, Curtis Walk will become part of daily life, carrying the name of a woman who dedicated hers to the next generation.
