A tribute to our Founder, Dr David Robertson

It is with great sadness that we share the news that our Founder and Life President, Dr David Robertson, has sadly passed away this week. The thoughts of everyone at our charity are with David’s wife Frankie, and their children and grandchildren.

Dr Robertson was a true visionary and pioneer of the social care sector – and in 1988 he was at the forefront of the Care in the Community Agenda, which ensured that people with support needs could live full, active and happy lives in their communities.

He did this on solid foundations of social inclusion and integration. Because of him and his belief in a better society, thousands of lives have been transformed, and the people we support live lives of choice, control and independence, in places they call home, in the communities they know and love.

In Dr Roberston’s own words, shared when we celebrated our 20th anniversary in 2008: “When I look at how we have grown across the UK and think about the amount of people that we have supported, I feel an enormous amount of pride.” And rightly so.

Our CEO, Jim Kane, shared: “Whilst I didn’t have the pleasure of working closely with Dr Robertson, I know he is a personal hero to many of our long-serving colleagues, and a core part of their memories of the last three decades.

He has left an indelible print on this charity and sector – and even as we change, grow and innovate, we will always continue to honour his legacy by maintaining the heart and ethos he gave us 36 years ago.”