In memory of Guillaume Alsac
We were shocked and saddened to learn yesterday of the untimely death of Guillaume Alsac, co-founder and co-director of the innovative French community nursing social enterprise Soignons Humain. Guillaume had lived bravely with a brain tumour for the previous 18 months.
Public World had the privilege of working with Guillaume and his organisation for five years on an EU-sponsored international action learning project called Transforming Integrated Care in the Community (TICC). Its purpose was to better understand the challenges of applying a successful public service approach from one country to others by adopting and adapting the Buurtzorg Nederland approach.
We came to know Guillaume as a bright, energetic and bold man with the ability to switch joyfully from discussing the emerging lessons of the project’s experience in Belgium, France and Britain to joking about our national differences and playing us all a tune on his trumpet!
Fun-filled as well as earnest, Guillaume was always the most welcoming host in Lille, where he lived and worked, and his personality lit up the room as brightly as his anoraks. It contributed much to his organisation’s success in not only building excellent neighbourhood care services but also influencing the development of French government policy and practice.
We will remember him with great fondness and respect, and with confidence that his legacy will flourish and grow through the work of his colleagues and many others, including ourselves, inspired by his determination and vision. To Guillaume’s family, friends, colleagues and peers, we send our condolences.