13/11/2025
It has taken a few days for us to process the most dreadful events of Monday this week. Its fair to say that since then every superlative imaginable has quite fittingly been used to describe this man.
To say that he was vital in the evolution of Blue HOPE could not be anymore understated. Quite simply, without his support, we would probably still be just a couple of blokes with good intentions. He is one of the main reasons we have been able to do what we love to do for so long.
Over a friendship spanning the best part of 20 years, we disagreed on plenty. He was fallible but man enough to admit it. He was seriously professional yet profoundly funny. He was famously generous and kind but for the most part, one word comes to mind, he was consistently altruistic, that is to say, having a selfless concern for the well-being of others, without care for one's own interests; unselfish.
This was Ian Leavers described to a tee. This is how we will remember him.
I've read a few times this week words to the effect of 'if this can happen to him, what hope is there for us'.
The hope is that he did not die in vain. Like others before him, his seemingly pointless death has to mean something. It has to continue to galvanize us into doing whatever it takes to prevent another senseless tragedy. More words I know but it's the only way I can make sense of it.
The day you left the Union we gasped. The day you died we cried.
I remember discussing some bad press with him once, some particularly nasty vitriol that had left a mark on him. It made me think that aside from the president and the politician, this man was a dad, a son and a brother, desperately like many of us, trying to do his best to successfully swap hats as required.
But he was also our steadfast friend. A man you could ultimately count on.
Leavo you will be loved always, respected fiercely and missed often.
RIP.
