Jan Nowell ~ 29 May 1962 – 17 November 2022

It is with deep sadness that we have to let you know that Jan Nowell passed away on Thursday 17th November in Dr. Gray’s Hospital in Elgin.

Jan had been diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer only a couple of weeks before. She died peacefully in her sleep.

She was a beautiful, radiant woman with a deep love for the out-doors. Jan came to live here at the Park around 2015. A few years later, she and Andy bought a home surrounded by a plot of land at the outskirts of Hopeman which they immediately started transforming with the commitment to serve our planet.

And she was a very skilled coach who was capable of translating Spiral Dynamics into practice. She got engaged with and focalised the 2nd phase of the Community Change Working Group in 2016 and was co-facilitating the first year of the Enquiries Circle (now called the Collaboration Circle) together with me, Dürten.

It was a great joy to work with her and she taught me a lot. May her soul rest in peace.

With deep gratitude for who she was and for how she has enriched our lives – individually and collectively,
Dürten, NFA Co-Listener Convener

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I was so shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Jan.

Jan worked with us in the Foundation for many years as a self-employed contractor. She came on board as we were implementing the change process back in 2017 and helped us with the reorganisation of the support services and the setting up of the Thriving Whole Hub. She continued to provide me with strategic support when I became the lead steward, she helped us with the consultation and development of our education strategy and for the past few years has been supporting the HR team.

She was a quiet and effective presence in the background. Extremely skilled in so many ways. She could facilitate, write background papers, provide analysis and planning documents, coach and support individuals. She was unfailingly loving, caring, kind, compassionate and supportive. She was always there for me, particularly supportive in the difficult times, willing to be a listening ear, encouraging me and was able to both understand and support me because of her previous experience as a leader in the charity sector and because of the person she was, so positive and empathetic.

I trusted and respected her, and we both enjoyed our working relationship and our friendship. It was the same for others in the Foundation who she worked with. All speak of her love and care and willingness to go the extra mile to support them.

On behalf of the coworkers and Trustees on the Foundation I want to appreciate and thank Jan for her loving service and send love and condolences to her partner Andy and her family. She will be very much missed.

Caroline Matters
Lead Steward of the Findhorn Foundation

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I and the other trustees of Moray Carshare are deeply saddened to hear that Jan Nowell has passed away. Our trustees have described her as “lovely, bright and young”; “a remarkable clear-headed woman who had lots to give – I was in awe of her powers of analysis”; “such a bright and spirited woman”; “so dedicated and supportive”.

We were all impressed by her own embodiment of sustainable transport and connection with nature: she usually cycled from Hopeman to Findhorn via the scenic route through Roseisle forest for those many trustee meetings, starting each evening with a well-deserved soup & sandwich at my flat.

I think it was the very first time that I met Jan that she showered me in an effervescent stream of praise for Moray Carshare and how its contribution to reducing global warming deeply inspired her. Her enthusiasm never waned: She soon became a member – a very engaged one. I recall the AGM in March 2017 where we presented our draft SCIO constitution for approval of our membership and Jan had the only objection. It was typical of her: she had read the document carefully and was concerned we were mainly becoming a charity to avoid paying corporation tax and would not take our charitable aims seriously enough. Eventually we agreed to make a small revision to highlight the  importance of our aims and thus show we took her concerns seriously. Jan was a powerful woman with very high ideals and standards.

When she believed in a matter of principle she was like a dog with a bone: invincible.

She served as a trustee of Moray Carshare from October 2017 to December 2021. Her dedication to our purpose shone through this entire period.

She was always well prepared, usually had questions, and always had our purpose of community-enhancing sustainable transport firmly planted in her heart, her mind and her words. Her insights were invaluable. She was smart, knowledgeable and fun. Always ready to switch to seeing the funny side in things. Her tenacity was well balanced by a degree of lightness and by a positive attitude: we can do this if we work together.

Jan was such an empathetic person – always caring about the people as much as about the cause. During the very challenging times of the MCS LEADER project, she and David Hammond became my support team: mentoring me through huge levels of stress and overwhelm. I am forever grateful for her supportive presence: always open to a phone call when I was in distress. I don’t know how I would have got through that time without her.

Jan, your goodness shines on in the hearts of all those who you have touched!

Kind regards,
Gordon McAlpine