In memory of Caroline Forbes

It was with great sadness that I learnt of Caroline Forbes’ death last week at the too young age of 57. Caroline was a pioneer of the CDFI sector in this country, developing the Full Circle Fund for WEETU. Every emerging sector needs pioneers: people who have a vision and passion, who can take the risk and persuade others to join them and then make things happen. Caroline was just such a person. She developed the fund, which was modelled on the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, and promoted it tirelessly around the country. That is how I met her. We were colleagues but became friends as we travelled the UK to speak at conferences and seminars. The return journeys, when the stress of speaking had dissipated, were always full of laughter as she had an incredible sense of humour.

On one such journey Caroline told me that she had, in the past, been a comedy writer. I then commissioned her to write a comedy which would take a wry look at how we communicated our work to potential stakeholders, to be performed by delegates at our then forthcoming conference in Melton Mowbray. The resulting play has gone down in the annals of CDFI history. Caroline’s witty and perceptive script made it a great success, getting all the points across in a humorous way but not avoiding any of the difficult issues involved. I directed it, members acted in it – so it was a good job the script was vastly superior to both!

Caroline’s contribution to the early days of the UK CDFI sector was immense and cannot be underestimated. Our sympathy goes to her partner, Jane, and her family. Hopefully they will find comfort in knowing that she made a real difference to the lives of many people.

Caroline brought her intelligence, passion and humour to everything she did and she bore her illness with bravery and dignity. When I last saw her, in hospital a few days before she died, she was very weak but smiling, surrounded by visitors and a love which was palpable. Indeed, she had so many visitors that the nurses thought she was someone famous and of note. She was.