Remembering Gordon Adams: Tribute and Service Streaming Information
I was sad to hear that Gordon Adams, the founding Secretary of the Ombudsman Association, who played a key role in creating, developing, and supporting the organisation over many years, recently passed away.
As the Secretary to the Local Government Ombudsman, Gordon was present (and probably took the notes!) at the first ever joint conference of UK ombudsman from both the public and private sectors, which was held in Meriden, England, in October 1991.
It was at that conference that it was agreed to set up an association ‘for ombudsman, their staff, and others interested in the work of ombudsman offices’, and Gordon was appointed Secretary to the working group, chaired by Laurence Shurman, which led to the creation of the United Kingdom Ombudsman Association (UKOA) in 1993, with Gordon as the first Secretary.
One interpretation could be that change has been a constant from the very beginning, with UKOA being renamed the British and Irish Ombudsman Association (BIOA) just a year later in 1994, when membership was extended to include ombudsman offices from the Republic of Ireland. But in actual fact Gordon provided continuity throughout, serving as Secretary, with the
support of his wife Jean as Assistant, until his retirement in April 2005.
Ann Abraham, the former Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman, and Chair of BIOA at the time of Gordon’s retirement, shared her reflections on that continuity: “It is interesting to observe the extent to which those early foundations, in all of which Gordon played a pivotal role, remain in place today - the core purpose, the key criteria for recognition, the Validation Committee, the Special Interest Groups, the Annual Conference.”
The quote on the front page of The Ombudsman newsletter in June 2005, to mark Gordon’s retirement, summed up his impact nicely and is as relevant now as it was then: “Gordon has been the backbone of BIOA and, without his tireless efforts and enthusiasm, it is hard to see how BIOA could ever have become what it is today.”
Our thoughts and best wishes are with his wife Jean and their family and friends.
The celebration of Gordon’s life will take place on Thursday 9 April at 2pm at the Kemnal Park chapel, Sidcup By-Pass, BR7 6RR, followed by refreshments at the Sydney Arms, Old Perry Street, Chislehurst BR7 6PL. Details of the streaming arrangements can be found in the attached. Anyone planning to attend in person should let Jean know in advance via g.d.a@btinternet.com to assist with the catering arrangements.