John Ramsey – In His Own Words

“In the early hours of 20th September this year, my friend and colleague, John Ramsey, passed away after a long illness.”

So begins e-Volunteerism's Rob Jackson in a special tribute for this issue's Voices. As Jackson explains, John Ramsey was an influential voice in the development of volunteer management as a profession in the United Kingdom, holding key volunteer organizing positions in a several large UK charities over his career.  He was the founding chair of the new national professional association for England, the Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM), which has created a tributes area to Ramsey and plans to continue to post examples of his writing to create a memorial archive. Reading the testimonials already posted by AVM gives a glimpse into the influence he had and the inspiration he gave to so many managers of volunteers.

Through Voices, e-Volunteerism adds its tribute to John Ramsey and shares some of his best writing. Jackson excerpts his favorite Ramsey-isms, beginning with his “five core principles” that make an organisation brilliant at involving volunteers. As Jackson notes: “He wrote in a wonderful way, simultaneously challenging and encouraging his readers.”