Professor Gerald Manners, OBE MA
print-friendly versionPosted 17 February 2009
It was with great sadness that City Parochial Foundation received the news of the death on Monday 16 February of Professor Gerald Manners.
Gerald Manners was a trustee of City Parochial Foundation for over 25 years, being first nominated in 1977 by University College London. He was Chairman of the Foundation's Central Governing Body from 1996 to 2004. As the Foundation's nominee, he was also a trustee of other institutions that CPF had helped to develop. These included the Chelsea Physic Garden and Sadler's Wells where he was Chairman for nine years.
During his tenure as Chair, or Chairman, as Gerald preferred to be called, he brought about significant changes to the Foundation's century old governance structures and systems; the endowment investment policy; and generally the way the Foundation conducted its business. He pioneered what his successors have built upon in subsequent years.
Gerald was Emeritus Professor of Geography at University College London. His academic interests initially centred on urban and regional development. In the 1970s he was a Member of the South East Economic Planning Council and the Location of Offices Bureau, as well as Chairman of the Regional Studies Association.
Subsequently, his interests shifted towards energy-related questions and he became a specialist adviser to various parliamentary select committees, the Association for the Conservation of Energy and the Electricity Association. He was also a trustee of the Eaga Partnership Charitable Trust that supports research into issues relating to fuel poverty.
Gerald was elected Chairman of the umbrella-body for independent charitable foundations, the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) in 2003. His leadership enabled ACF to achieve incorporation; to improve financial and governance procedures and reporting; as well as move ACF to a more secure financial base.
His charitable work, particularly in the grant-making sector, was publicly recognised in 2004 when he was awarded an OBE for his services to CPF and ACF.
Gerald will be missed enormously by all at CPF and others in the voluntary sector at large for his wit, wisdom and the interest he took in others and the support he provided to staff and Trustees alike. His wife Joy and their family should rightly feel proud of Gerald's many achievements in such a diverse range of endeavours. CPF's Trustees and staff will remember him with great affection and gratitude.
A private funeral will be held on Friday 20 February and a memorial service will also be held in due course. CPF will post details on its website when they are available. Gerald's family have requested that donations be given to The Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign c/o WG Miller, Funeral Directors, 93-95 Essex Road, Islington N1 1SJ in lieu of flowers.
The obituaries from "The Times" and "The Guardian" for Professor Gerald Manners click links below:
The Times