My friend and colleague Carole Howells, who has died aged 73 of cancer, was a champion of the voluntary sector for more than two decades in Newcastle upon Tyne, where her influence extended far and wide.
As director of Newcastle Council for Voluntary Service (NCVS) from 1987 to 2009, Carole could robustly argue a case on behalf of the charitable sector, but also knew that it was important to build professional relationships with the city council so that charities could continue to thrive in hard times. Under the auspices of NCVS she nurtured a number of initiatives, including what is now Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, which promotes local philanthropy to benefit community groups and is the most successful community foundation in the UK. She was deputy chair of the foundation (at the time I was chief executive) for its first nine years and was extremely proud of what it achieved.
Carole was often first choice to represent the voluntary sector on public bodies in her area, including the boards of Newcastle College and Northumbria Probation Committee. She always brought a sharp mind to any table, as well as the courage to take a contrary view. In addition she was an eminence grise and mentor to a large number of public servants in the north-east, including the current leader of Newcastle city council, Nick Forbes. I was a mentee of her myself.
Born in Watford, Hertfordshire, to Alice (nee Laslett) and Alan Roffe, who were both teachers, Carole went to Watford grammar school and then studied philosophy and psychology at Bristol University, where she was a forward-thinking, fashion-conscious student who became a friend of the feminist writer Angela Carter. Carole’s first career was as a research psychologist, working at the Civil Service Selection Board (1967-69), the University of Leeds (1969-74) and the University of the West Indies (1974-78) in Jamaica. When she returned from the Caribbean, she switched disciplines to become a manager for the crime reduction charity Nacro in Manchester, before settling in Newcastle to run NCVS. She was made MBE for her services to the voluntary sector in 2001.
Carole was hugely respected and much loved in voluntary sector circles nationally, but perhaps her greatest gift was in making and nurturing lifelong friendships. She always offered forthright advice, often over afternoon tea or an early supper, had a superb sense of humour, and was great fun to be with.
In the late 1960s, Carole was married briefly to Martyn Howells; they divorced. She is survived by her sister, Penny, and by her nieces, Lucy and Charlotte.
