It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Richard Brennan

20/07/10

Richard was one of the Trust’s two first non-family trustees and served on the Board from July 2009 until earlier this month...

...when he resigned as the terminal nature of his illness became clear. He will be sorely missed by his fellow Board members.

Ruth Cadbury, Chair of trustees, has asked me to include her personal thanks to Richard and her appreciation of all that he brought to the Trust, and all he gave to its work.

Richard was a highly energetic man who brought greatly valued experience to the Trust. A native Dubliner, he was passionate about his adopted city, Birmingham, and shared this passion, and the knowledge and contacts which flowed from it, most generously with us.

As an experienced businessman, Richard offered to Chair the Trust’s Investment Management Committee, which he did most creatively and diligently. He wholeheartedly embraced the principles behind mission-related and ethical investment and help guide the Trust through the process of making our first programme-related investment in the Social Impact Bond – a new initiative in the prevention of reoffending at Peterborough prison.

A migrant himself, Richard was very supportive of the Trust’s work to promote a policy framework for migration that is fair to migrants and to receiving communities. He understood some of the difficulties of having ‘outsider status’ from his own personal experience and expressed this most movingly.

Richard was not the kind of man to let things slide. He asked searching questions sometimes and expected others to operate to the same high standards he always displayed himself. We are going to miss his singularity of purpose and drive.

But perhaps what we’ll miss the most was the irreverent sense of humour which laced his compassionate humanity. Ironic, witty, loving.

Richard had a strong Catholic faith, which sustained him. He died in the presence of his wife, Grace, and daughters, Vicky and Lise-Ann, on Monday (19th July 2010), which was his 58th birthday.

Grace, Vicky, Lise-Ann and, of course, Richard are very much in our thoughts.


Sara Llewellin, Chief Executive 20.07.10