The staff and board of Moseley CDT were shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the death of our co-chair of trustees and friend Nick Booth.
From his career as a journalist and through his social media surgeries and a multitude of other trustee and volunteering roles, Nick was a pioneer of empowering communities to make change and being a force for good. Much has been already written about Nick, his work and the man he was by his friends and former colleagues, which we’d urge you to read, but we wanted to talk about our Nick.
To us, Nick was committed to the mission of the CDT – making Moseley a better place to live, visit and work, he had an ambitious vision for our future and wanted to ensure that we served, supported and celebrated the diverse population of Moseley.
Moseley (and Balsall Heath) had been Nick’s home since childhood. He appreciated it every day, its uniqueness, its creativity, its sense of community, its spirit. He loved its friendliness, the things that happened here to improve the lives of its residents and to draw in others. He had so many friends here and made more all the time, so it is unsurprising that he made his way to the CDT.
Nick joined our board in 2023 having been a co-worker for many years and a supporter of the Exchange since its very early days, enthusiastically telling his friend in the States, “you have to come see this place”, Boston to Birmingham is no small trip to visit a coworking space!
Making a difference, enabling positive change, the spirit of community and volunteering were part of who Nick was; so intrinsic to his beliefs that there was never a question of if he should volunteer, simply where and how. He knew he had a lot to offer, that he could bring people together and like his company (Podnosh) motto “Give a f*k and get sht done”
As a board member Nick was supportive, curious, kind and creative knowing when to be hands on and when to sit back and allow others to lead. He believed in social justice and part of achieving that would be a natural expectation of giving of one’s time. He believed in the loop of generosity and he definitely practiced this day to day and there was little difference between the personal and professional Nick, what you saw was what you got. Often irreverent, always blisteringly quick and capable but always keen to laugh.
We’ve been fortunate enough to have community members stop by to talk to us since we heard the news and we’re grateful to hear stories and memories of Nick.
Many people have wanted to do something to show their love and appreciation to the man his family have called a “self-proclaimed genius”. The CDT are working with Nick’s partner and family and will be collecting donations on their behalf in place of flowers. Donations raised will be split between CDT activity and providing a lasting reminder of Nick.
The CDT and its team are better for having had the opportunity to work with and learn from Nick, he leaves incredibly big shoes to fill!
