Sonia Jackson writes: Bob Holman was almost unique among campaigners for social justice in living his values.
He was inspired not only by his faith, but by understanding how people’s lives are shaped by the decisions of politicians and the writings of academics and journalists who have no idea what it is like to live in poverty day by day. He fully recognised how much his work depended on the loving and uncomplaining support of his wife, Annette, who combined a high-level post in local government with taking a full share in his community work.
He would be saddened by the low level of the debate on the EU, the emphasis on narrow economic issues and especially the hostility towards immigrants, about which he wrote eloquently. He seldom talked about himself, except in the epilogue to his lovely book Champions for Children. It concludes with a passionate affirmation of support for the ethical ideals of the Co-operative Society, and the many services it offers to its members, which he urges readers to use.
Les Bright writes: Forty years ago, while training as a community development worker, I was inspired by Bob Holman’s decision to leave academia to work on a Bath housing estate. Although I never met him, I remained inspired by his writing, not least in his many letters to the Guardian that continued to display the same clarity of purpose that took him from a comfortable life in southern England to a tough part of Glasgow.
