At Grant’s memorial service, there were people from all the many walks of life Grant inhabited – business and IT, music, scouting, sailing, the natural world, books and history. And, of course, his family, through whom many of Grant’s interests are now continuing. Many of these people had no connection with each other, except that they all knew and respected Grant Rule.
Setting up the Grant Rule Trust was an immediate response by myself and my two daughters to the enormity of the idea that Grant was no longer with us. It seemed inconceivable that such a presence could so suddenly be taken away, and it seemed important to create an entity that could focus the outpouring of support and sympathy we received at the time into a constructive energy that could in some way replace the huge and positive driving force Grant represented.
But of course we, the Trustees, didn’t only lose a driving force, an inquisitive mind and a business partner. We lost a husband and father, the cornerstone of our family. Eighteen months on, we are only just beginning to pick ourselves up off the floor, and come to terms with what living without Grant is like. All three of the Trustees do still have lives to lead. There still are many adjustments to be made, and they have to be made in their own time, but we still believe strongly in the concept and the potential of the Grant Rule Trust.
The Trust is not about fund-raising per se. It is about creating a different understanding of wealth, in which money clearly plays its role as an enabler, but is never an end in itself – or indeed a barrier to achievement. We believe the Trust can become a force for changing the way people think about value, business and life; about history, music, nature, and what it is to be a human being in the 21st century. Our responsibilities, as well as our rights.
This is a big vision and in order to have any chance of fully achieving the potential we think it has, it will take time to realize. How do we translate ideas into practical activities? What role can the Trust play in bringing people and ideas together? We have some thoughts, and are aiming to start putting these into practice over the next couple of years.
We welcome your support for the concept of the Trust, and at the moment, its your intellectual capital, your knowledge, skills and capabilities, that are most important to us. We welcome any ideas and comments you would like to volunteer – any topics of discussion relevant to the Trust’s objective you would like to start, any plans, projects, pipe-dreams or visions you would like to share.