In memory of Emmanuel House Trustee, Colin Slater

It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Colin Slater.

Colin joined the Board in 2003. At the time he was Chairman of Nottingham Magistrates. He brought a knowledge of local government from the inside track, having for nearly 20 years been head of Public Relations for Nottinghamshire County Council. He has been a regular broadcaster as a football commentator with BBC Radio Nottingham from the station’s earliest days in 1968.

He was active in the Church of England – nationally as an elected lay member of General Synod and in the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham as a member of Bishop’s Council and its Finance Committee.

His public service has been recognised with the award of the MBE, by being granted the Freedom of the Borough of Broxtowe and by having one of Nottingham’s trams named after him.

Denis Tully, CEO at Emmanuel House, “I greatly valued Colin’s wise advice.  He was indeed gentle in his manner but when he came across an injustice he was strident in getting it sorted out.  Colin has been a committed member of the Board of Trustees for many years and I am thankful for his contribution to Emmanuel House becoming the charity it is today.  Colin will be missed.”

Clive Sillito, Chair of Trustees, said: “I’ve known Colin over 40 years. He’s been a friend and mentor to me. He was such a close friend of mine, it’s a very sad day for me. He was utterly consistent and preserved with everything he did – if he committed, he would keep doing it and do it brilliantly well. He had an unparalleled network of friends and acquaintances but what singled him out was the depth of his friendships, he invested in people. He was the ultimate investor in people – he invested in deep, individual relationships with people. And he paid it forward – later on when he needed help or support, people were queuing up because of how they’d invested in them. When Emmanuel House was struggling financially,  he was immensely helpful. His experience in PR and marketing and all those relationships really helped us and was what keep us afloat during that time. All the investment he’d made in the past was all driven by a deep Christian faith. If he saw he could help, he would do it.

“His lasting legacy will be in the lives of the people he’s touched. There are many many people who he had helped, mentored, supported and developed. They have become significant people. Their influence on the next generation will be his legacy. He invested in them, they will invest in others and it will carry on. I am so privileged to have the opportunity to honour a truly good man.”

Alan Boyden, Emmanuel House Trustee, said: “Colin was a dear friend and an esteemed colleague as a fellow Board member of Emmanuel House. He was in fact the reason I joined the Board. Having known Colin professionally for many years prior to being introduced by him to Emmanuel House, I have the upmost respect for him. He was a true gentleman, a hard worker and a voice for those less fortunate than him in his charitable endeavours. A stalwart of Emmanuel House, a voice of reason during the tough times and a supportive friend during the better days. I will forever be grateful for his friendship.”

The support Colin provided the board, staff and beneficiaries will always be remembered. We are honoured to have had him as part of Emmanuel House, the work he did in helping Nottingham to tackle homelessness will always be remembered. He will be sadly missed.