Gill Astarita, the chief executive of Volunteer Reading Help, died last week after a short battle with cancer. She was 49 years old.

Gill was a well-known and popular individual, who had worked with the charity sector for all of her working life – starting out as a temp at Liberty before moving into fundraising and marketing, and finally as a chief executive.

She was passionate about making the world a better place. In addition to her dedication to the charities she worked for, she was a founding member of the Fundraising Academy, an organisation committed to teaching entry-level fundraising techniques. Gill was also frequently heard shouting about how “not enough is being done to promote fundraisers into the top position” despite the fact “they make the best chief executives”.

She leaves behind her husband Mark, director of fundraising at the British Red Cross.

Tributes flowing in

Tributes have already begun coming in from colleagues and friends in the sector. Veteran fundraiser Judith Rich said: “Gill was a fab fundraiser but backed by sound professional knowledge and experience that she was totally prepared to share with others.”

Consultant Frances Hurst of Birdsong said: “I loved her style, and the voluntary sector would be a better, more effective and more vivacious place with more Gill Astaritas.”

PR consultant and long-time friend Penny Stephens has written an obituary paying tribute to Gill, in which she describes her as “one of the sector’s most dynamic and inspirational fundraisers and leaders”.