Abbeyfield Society pays tribute to 'kindness, warmth and humour' of chief executive David McCullough

The Abbeyfield Society has paid tribute to chief executive David McCullough who passed away suddenly on 8 February 2021, saying he had "great empathy for others".

Chairman of the society, Ian Plaistowe said the whole organisation had lost “a true friend” and his “kindness, warmth and humour” will be missed by everyone who knew him.

Mr McCullough joined Abbeyfield, which has 21 care homes, as chief executive in August 2017 where he oversaw the completion of an organisational strategic review in order to support older people with appropriate housing and care.

Mr Plaistowe said: “David was incredibly dedicated and passionate, with great empathy for others. His leadership and strategic thinking were a true asset to Abbeyfield, bringing a fresh approach to the way we work and showing tremendous drive to move the organisation forward.

“David’s priority was improving the lives of older people and exploring ways of keeping them connected to their communities. His kindness, warmth and humour will be sorely missed by those who knew him.”

Mr McCullough made the time to regularly visit Abbeyfield’s services both at home and abroad, meeting residents and taking an active interest in their lives.

He even joined in with activities such as a 170ft abseil of the Eagle Tower in Cheltenham in September 2019, which he completed alongside 90-year-old resident Betty Bromage to mark her milestone birthday year.

Mr McCullough was also a committed volunteer and chaired the board of trustees at alternative trading company Twin Trading, helping farmers in developing countries receive fair pay. He was also a trustee of the Postcode International Trust, which is funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery and supports projects that create sustainable solutions to alleviate poverty, hunger and enable food security overseas.

Before joining Abbeyfield, Mr McCullough was chief executive of the Royal Voluntary Service and prior to that spent six years as deputy chief executive of Oxfam GB. His appointment to Oxfam came after a career as director and managing director in banking, IT and high street retail working for well-known companies such as Next and Miss Selfridge.

“We will continue taking David’s work forward to ensure it is a lasting tribute to his inspirational leadership. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time,” added Mr Plaistowe.

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