I first came into contact with Al a couple of weeks after he took on the Safety and Assurance role in November 2023 with the then ASCB, when he emailed me to pick my brains as the most experienced of the then 3 Single Service Sport Safety and Assurance leads. Quite a shock to be given that responsibility but couldn’t deny his logic! He then proceeded to ask loads of questions until he felt satisfied. Exhausting and a sign of things to come! In the 3 years since we have had regular meetings, phone conversations, emails a plenty and face to face catch ups at the various sporting events where our paths crossed. A formidable tour de force who always had the best intersest and safety of the sports participants at the forefront of his mind. Al, I will greatly miss our conversations and your company. Heartfelt condolences to all his family and Army Sport. Until we meet again…….

Working with Helen was a great privilege, she was always so generous with her time and expertise. She was our rabies and tapeworm oracle, a powerhouse in all things disease and risk assessment.  She had the patience of a saint during the many times I tried to test my understanding of the science with her! I would often ask her to explain the evidence as if it were ‘for dummies’, her virtual door was always open and she would happily oblige, letting me ask all the stupid questions that sprang to mind. I’d often leave with grim but fun facts about disease to share with my friends and family outside of work, leaving them wondering what on earth we do for a living. The thing I’ll remember most about Helen though was her warmth and quick humour. Even in the most stressful times she could find the funny side with a little teams message during a difficult meeting or debrief after to have a rant. I felt like I could be myself around her and not have to filter. I’ll carry all I learnt from Helen with huge respect, gratitude and a smile when I get to use the…

I had the pleasure to work with Helen as AHAW panel member at EFSA and she was a hugely knowledgeable and experienced expert. For me a brilliant mind for risk assessment and an exceptional ability to think creatively about possible pathways of disease introduction into the EU. She had a rare talent for identifying practical, sometimes unexpected, but scientifically relevant routes by which listed diseases could spread. we all rember remember very well one of her brilliant & insightful questions in an AHAW panel meeting: whether reusable tote bags used for feed could represent a source of infection. Helen was and would have been the only one coming up with that !? That question captured so much of Helen’s way of thinking: curious, sharp, pragmatic, and always focused on making risk assessment meaningful and applicable to real life. Helen was passionate about her work and consistently sought to improve the way risk assessment and risk communication were carried out. She brought people together and made authentic connections, and generously shared her knowledge and experience. Helen’s  approach was always collaborative and humble; even when she led important work, she would describe it as a collective effort rather than her own achievement….

So incredibly sorry to hear of Helen’s sudden passing. I greatly valued her work on HAIRS risk assessments, especially on SARS-CoV-2 and animals, and had heard her name many times before I finally had the chance to meet her.  In my short time working with her, I was very impressed with what a wealth of knowledge she was and also how she was such an open and kind person.  I was very much looking forward to continuing to learn from her.  My sincere condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.   …

   This photo sums up perfectly what is was like to spend time in your company. Laughter and lots of it. You had this great way of bringing everyone together and making sure they were having a good time.  So many great days and nights over the years we all spent at the Jobbers / Junction and even The Crumpled discussing everything from Music to Football and Spurs. Little did I know those chats about Music would lead to the Spotify Whats app Messages coming through with tracks i didn’t know i needed to hear. The tracks were endless🤣, but they still ended up on my playlist. Regarding Spurs, I hope you cant’t see how bad we are from up there. You wouldn’t beleive it! Although you would have loads to say on it. You will never be forgotten and our memories of you are still very much in our conversations whenever everyone is together. We always raise a glass or two to you. The night out is just that little bit quieter and definitely not us fun. It was an absolute priviledge to call you our friend. Rest in Peace & Cheers mate 🍺🍺 Jay, Cheryl, Dan &…

With great pride I remember the teaching activities, policy collaborations and innovative training courses Helen helped develop and deliver. She never hesitated to commit to something new or something risky and untested in education. I will remember her energy, professional courage and willingness to share her knowledge. My deepest condolences to her family, friends and colleagues….

Another Defra “colleague” whos career you touched. Thank you, even if it was for such a short time. Jon…

Such sad news. I met Helen several times in different roles over the years, and she was consistently impressive in terms of her clarity of thought and knowledge. But what really made her stand out to me were her kindness and generosity – with her time, her insights, her consideration. She will be greatly missed. Sincere condolences to her family and friends….

I am very sorry for your loss. Please accept my sincerest condolences and best wishes for strength and comfort. My thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time.  …

I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Helen over the last 3 years. She was one of the most authentic people I have ever met, no pretense, just purely herself all the time; brilliant, witty, funny and with such amazing insights. She was always willing to share what she knew, and didn’t shy away from difficult conversations, which helped us all make better decisions. Helen is in my minds eye continually now, when I’m chasing down a signal of change or looking for answers to complex questions, I wonder what her insights would be. It is shocking to lose her so young, she made incredible contributions to animal health and will be missed all over the world….

I feel so grateful to have had the chance to work with Helen, both to get an insight into some of the incredible work she has led across so many different areas, and also to see the passion and humanity she brought to it all. I’ve been in awe of Helen since I started working with her – she set an example for us all in how she approached issues head on, never taking any nonsense but at the same time bringing such wit and kindness to any situation. Her depth and breadth of knowledge was astounding, and she was so generous with it and always had time for people who wanted to learn. I always looked forward to meetings with her – I would always learn something new, probably have a laugh too, and always left feeling a little brighter and more motivated. Helen’s death is such devastating news and she will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with all her friends and family. …

I’ll always remember Helen’s generosity—with her time, her knowledge, and her unwavering support for others. Helen was a lovely human being and colleague. I’m especially grateful for the way she encouraged others and collaborated on complex One Health issues. I was lucky to get to work with her over the last few years. And I’ll never forget the moment she gave me an emergency crash course on how to pop a champagne cork at the end of a meeting while working together in France-such a small, joyful lesson that captured her spirit of kindness and looking out for others. Helen’s impact lives on in the work we all do and in the many people she lifted up during her life. She will be deeply missed and never forgotten.  …

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Helen Roberts. Helen was the epitome of calmness, professionalism, and a sense of purpose. It was pleasure working with Helen on the INHFL platform and she will be sorely missed. My thoughts are with Helen’s family and friends….

I was shocked to hear about Helen’s passing. We’ve lost one of government’s most important minds on animal health and zoonotic disease. I’ll especially miss her sense of humour at the various BSS-related forums that we worked together on. My thoughts are with her friends and family at this difficult time – and also on the lasting and extraordinary contribution she made to the field of biosecurity. Thank you, Helen….