Many of you will know that we have lost two of our founding Directors at arc4 over recent years. Here we remember them and the memories people have of them.
Gaynor Asquith, director , arc4 limited 1952-2011
Gaynor was a co-founder of arc4 and a much loved Director. Gaynor had over 25 years experience in housing and regeneration. She led work in areas from innovative research, networking and stakeholder consultation through the development of fresh policies and strategies. She enjoyed developing anything from a multi agency partnership to an individual housing loan package or small scale business support - and all to make sure good changes happened.
Gaynor’s real passion was her conservation work in Africa. She was the co-founder of Project African Wilderness and the PAW Trust. She travelled extensively in Africa, was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and was committed to saving a small piece of African wilderness. Gaynor led the PAW Trust fundraising campaigns and was a UK spokesperson for PAW.
Gaynor meant so much to us in so many different ways. We will never forget her and are proud to have worked with her and to be able to call her our friend.
David Cumberland, Director, arc4 limited 1949 - 2010
Donations in memory of David have been split between Shelter, the RSPB and St Rocco's hospice, with just over £250 going to each.
Thank you to everyone who donated, your money has gone to the nominated charity, or been split between each of the above organisations. All three charities have sent letters acknowledging the donations and thanking you.
David Cumberland died in October 2010 after being diagnosed with cancer of the lining of the lung in July of this year. The prognosis was bad but he remained positive throughout and many people had no idea he was ill. He was 61, admitted to 55 if asked. He leaves behind a loving wife and 5 children.
Since 2001 he has worked as a consultant, first with his own housing and regeneration consultancy, DCHR Limited and then from 2007 as a Director at arc4 Limited based in Manchester but working across the country.
He trained as an economist and planner, a graduate of the LSE . He started his career in housing at Warrington New Town where he helped create the infrastructure that allowed the area to develop successfully. He then ‘graduated’ to Liverpool, Wirral and Knowsley Councils, where he relished the challenge of negotiating with the unions. But it was when he became Regional Director for the northwest at the then Housing Corporation in 1988 that he came to prominence. Whether he was persuading tenants at Hulme to embrace the City Challenge programme (and stop picketing his office!) or finding a decent pub for Anthony Meyer after an opening, he was always thoughtful, planning ahead and putting himself in the other person’s position to find a solution. His ability to be dispassionate meant he was a very successful advocate for the region when negotiating the needs indices that determined allocations.
In 1997 he went on to be one of the new Group Directors at North British (now Places for People) HA limited and help shape the new group under Eric Armitage as well as manage the northern region. His work created the solid foundation for the next generation there.
As a consultant he was much in demand by clients who wanted someone who was very intelligent, helped them understand their needs and challenged them, with a smile and a critical eye, to do better. He was a strategist, a planner and someone who really made a difference.
He also found time to be a Board Member at Knowsley Housing Trust, chairing their Regeneration Committee and latterly the KHT Services Board whose success is envied across the north. On top of this he was Company Secretary of the African conservation charity sponsored by arc4 limited, keeping their governance and finances in order.
And no one who knew him could fail to appreciate his knowledge of railways and current timetables!
We have lost a really good man, friend and advocate for our sector.
Messages from friends and colleagues
There isn't room for all of the messages here, but if you would like to email us we will make sure the message is passed on to David's family and colleagues.
It was always a pleasure to work with David at both DCHR and arc4 and we are so very sorry to hear your news
Chris Duffill
I knew David from the time he joined North British, and our paths continued to cross from time to time since then. He made a fantastic contribution to housing organisations and local authorities across the North, helping them set out their ideas for the future in comprehensive and easily understandable strategic plans. And was also a lovely person, who will be very much missed. Special condolences to his family and closest friends
Christine Storrs
Please convey my sincerest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues, he will be greatly missed by a lot of people
Paul Davies
A couple of charming puzzles I had about David (apart from how he could recall railway timetables so accurately even for trains I'm sure he had no use for himself!): he always knew of a handy coffee shop to meet up at before a meeting or after, all of which did excellent bacon butties; how did he manage to motivate people? Once going up in the lift to pitch for a job with IDEA, he asked for (and got) BOUNCE from the team; for a man that habitually wore a windcheater, he also wore a trendy choker of wooden beads; Just setting down these thoughts makes me smile!
Rick Elliott
David was the first brave Director here to agree to manage me!!... He instilled such faith in me as a novice, not so geeky, housing fledgling, teaching me everything about the dreary world of strategy with enthusiasm and passion. Our trips around the streets and mills of Oldham and Rochdale and our chats that would go from new housing developments to Wales and when I was young and his children, he was so easy to chat to. I have had the pleasure of guided tours of Liverpool, Hull and Leeds to mention a few with David and learnt a great deal from him. All of our trips would involve the obligatory trip to a greasy spoon cafe, David always keeping one eye on the budgets! There are far too many little stories to mention. And, as everybody has said already, his incredibly unusual ability to know every train timetable going! Not to mention his incredibly embarrassing dancing!
Charlie
I dreaded the words: 'Oh good, we can make the next train, it goes in 5 minutes' - and all the while you were thinking there speaks a man who has no idea what it is to wear 3 inch heels, who has long legs and can walk at twice the pace of a normal person. Such words were always the precursor to some ungainly and crippling dash over cobbled streets, followed by a completely unceremonious clambering on board some train or other - where David would find a seat, sit down and look exceedingly satisfied, with no thought to your throbbing feet and asthmatic wheezing! I also remember one pre-meeting before seeing a client, I happened to give him a flying Scotsman charity pin badge that Jude and I had picked up at the Railway Museum. Never had I seen him look so pleased! He promptly put it on and wore it to the meeting we had with the client - what a pro!
Sharon
My abiding memory is of someone who was so very easy to talk to, how he lightened the conversation or meeting, however serious the matters being discussed, and how his infectious smile would light up the place too. It was always a very great pleasure working with him, on "both sides of the fence", as it were, and he always instilled confidence that the work would get done and it would be good.
Reuben
I have many happy memories of David, as he did quite a bit of work for me when I first took over at the Forum. He had a great mind where figures and formulae were concerned, things that I could never hope to understand made a little bit more sense to me after talking them through with David.
Sue Powell
Just wanted to let you know that I was very sad and upset to hear about David. Obviously not seen either of you very much over the years but I do remember him as a truly lovely man and good to work with.
Maggie Rafalowicz
David was one of the brightest people I have ever worked with....in EVERY sense of that word... and he helped me so much after I lost my job - I will always remember all of you for that.
Paul Curphey
Thinking of you all.
Margaret Struggles
He was a fine man, and my sympathies are with all who will feel his loss.
Jim Lunney
David was an influential person in my life, someone with foresight and intelligence, as well as a friendly and fun character and someone I will remember throughout my life.
Jonathan Silver
I pray for the peace of his soul, and strength for his near ones. He was a good man and will be missed. Please accept my sincere condolences and convey the same to his family.
Atul Patel
David was a supportive and wise partner and colleague to all of us involved in housing and he will be much missed. I worked particularly closely with him when he was at the " Corpy " and I at the Government Office and we came into contact many time since in his consultancy role.
I particularly remember David for his wonderful socks, inevitably received as presents from his children!
Peter Styche
Over the last dozen years or so our paths had crossed many times either when working at North British or more recently in connection with my work in the North East. I'll remember him as a kind decent man who always had time for people whilst also being outstanding at progressing complex and challenging issues in a thoughtful and enthusiastic way. He is a loss to your organisation and to the wider housing profession.
David Siddle
He was such a lovely man and he will be greatly missed. I remember several happy meetings with David at the Housing Corporation's Offices and having a really good chat to him on the boat trip for Jim's 50th birthday. It was his unique sense of humour that I will always remember about him. Really sorry that you have lost such a wonderful friend and a brilliant colleague.
Ken Bury
David was a wonderful person and employer - warm hearted, considerate and great fun. Although I have not seen him for some time he is missed dearly.
Sara Banning
David was a lovely man and I know he will be sorely missed. From everyone here at Contour who worked with David, please pass our condolences on to his family and your team.
Vicky Carroll
I have known David for a long time including his days at the Housing Corporation and Places for People and he was always both engaging and stimulating to work with. We had one humorous exchange on Newcastle station at a time when all my work seemed to be in the north west and his seemed to be in the north east. We debated swapping houses as a good solution!
Peter, Ken and Denise at PFA