It is with a heavy heart that we share the sad news that Jon Gascoigne, beloved father, husband, brother, colleague, mentor and dear friend, has died following an extended illness.

The most personal impact will be with his young family. As so many of you have been kind enough to ask, we have set up a fund to raise money to help them in this difficult moment. Any contributions are much appreciated and will be sent to Jon’s wife, Rachel.

We all loved Jon, for his kind heart and constant caring for everybody around him, for being incredibly humble and yet amazingly smart and knowledgeable. Conversations with him were always insightful and invariably fun, and along the way he found his own ways to change the world. Whether through organic farming, cat modelling or disaster risk financing, his humanity and his honesty always shone through in everything he did, and he will be sorely missed.

So many friends and colleagues have tried to sum up what he meant to us. It’s hard to find the words, but we are working to arrange an e-book soon, so that his family and especially his boys are made aware of Jon’s impact on the world. Therefore, please add a comment or story with your donation - it could be something he taught you or a funny story (we know there are a lot!).

In this time of sadness and always, remember to look out for one another, listen to each other, and be a light for someone as Jon always was to all of us.