Everyone at Capital Cranfield was deeply saddened to learn that our colleague Simon Baynes died on 23rd November.

Simon, who had worked with us as a Professional Trustee since 2009, was a big contributor to our culture and success. Even in his final week, he found the time to stress to me how much he had valued both our ethos and the strong bonds he had built with colleagues. His passing followed a long battle with a rare cancer which he bore with considerable fortitude.

The last trustee appointment that Simon took on was as Chair of the Sheffield University scheme. As an alumnus he had been especially keen to win that appointment and we were delighted to help him achieve that very personal ambition. This became all the more poignant as news of his initial diagnosis came through just a few months later.

Simon had many outside interests and was a long serving member of the General Synod of the Church of England. Never one to be idle, after winding down his trustee commitments as his illness advanced Simon wrote an autobiography whose title, Extreme Survivor, referred to the challenges of managing diabetes from early childhood. Probably only Simon could have managed a foreword from the Archbishop of Canterbury!

As one of his colleagues said today: “He was a good guy. We will miss him” Our thoughts are with his wife Clare and their two sons Thomas and Edwin.

Should anyone wish to make a charitable donation in Simon’s memory his family have asked that these be in favour of the Rennie Grove Hospice which provided some wonderful support to Simon and his family.