It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Cathy Butt, the Centre Manager at TSRC during its first phase from 2008-14.

Cathy passed away on the 4th of March after losing her battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, with which she had been diagnosed in the summer of 2020. She died peacefully in her home near Lancaster, cared for by her husband Graham.

Cathy was an exceptionally dynamic and dedicated centre manager, and was a driving force behind the development and organisation of the Centre. The establishment of our administrative structures from scratch was a large task in its own right but Cathy also led on the Centre’s communication and knowledge exchange strategy, including the setting up of the TSRC website, with its extensive collection of research papers and reports. She was also instrumental in securing support from the then BIG Lottery Fund for the establishment and development of the Centre’s Knowledge Portal, a repository of research findings and resources in our field. She also developed a productive partnership with the British Library, which provided a venue for a number of the successful national conferences which Cathy organised so smoothly. All of this work was crucial to the smooth running of the Centre but Cathy’s efforts also contributed hugely to our external credibility and profile. On a day-to-day basis Cathy was also a constant presence in our base at Park House, and as such was a highly valued and supportive colleague; she also took the lead in organising and hosting team social events. 

Cathy retired in 2014; and, shortly after, she and Graham moved from Birmingham to begin a new life in the north-west. Cathy was much loved and respected by all the Centre staff, and deeply valued by our funders (to whom she efficiently managed all our detailed reporting), our collaborators and the wider third sector public. She will be much missed by all, and we send our deepest condolences to Graham and family.

John Mohan and Peter Alcock