Flemmich Webb

The environmentalist and journalist Flemmich Webb was due to get married on his 50th birthday this week. The most charismatic, caring, energetic and adored individual had finally found the love of his life.

Flemmich’s commitment to friends and family was unparalleled but despite many deep and enduring relationships, he had struggled to settle down with a life partner. The love and happiness he had found with Kate Henry and her daughter Eloise had anchored them between the hills of the South Downs and the sea in Brighton.

That security also set the foundations for a remarkable culmination of his passion for conservation and the environment when he worked for Lloyd’s of London and changed key policies concerning the Arctic and was a key player in Lloyd’s first-ever Sustainability Report, released today (17/12)

Whilst Kate ran a successful catering firm from home, Flemmich worked as a senior speechwriter and strategist at Lloyd’s, an organisation he had joined because of its potential to bring change on a global scale.

As an early riser who never wasted a minute of any day, Flemmich spent much of his spare time in the sea - kayaking, surfing and paddleboarding - or in the hills running, cycling and trekking. As his personal life blossomed, so did his professional – and his influence on issues related to climate change. 

Flemmich was born in London to Tony and Zara Webb in 1970, the eldest brother to Christian, Saskia and Theo. He grew up near Sevenoaks and attended New Beacon School before winning an academic scholarship to King’s Canterbury where he excelled at sport, academia and honed an extraordinary skill for building a legion of lifelong friendships. He captained the tennis team for two years and starred on many a sporting field. 

He went on to study English Literature at Leeds University, where he adeptly combined study and student social life. He was the leading actor in many of the University's theatrical productions, including a memorable Beowulf. He became a committed environmentalist, was a well-recognised and beloved figure on the northern dance scene and continued his many sporting endeavours. Throughout his life, whether playing football, cricket, tennis, golf or just throwing paper into a bin, he was almost implausibly competitive.

He was an ardent supporter of Oxford United FC and all of England’s sports teams, never missing a Lord’s Test once he’d secured his MCC membership. 

Flemmich had a gift for friendship, a rare talent for making everyone he met feel welcome and special. Your friend was his friend. Your family, his family. He was the glue that held many friendship groups together, the one they looked to for fun, advice and compassion.

He was best man at six weddings, beloved uncle to seven nephews and one niece and godfather to six children. He had a strong connection to all those children, effortlessly immersing himself in their world by taking the time to understand what sparked their curiosity. He always remembered each anniversary and birthday – and his quirky drawings and poetry ensured his cards were far more personal than anything Hallmark had to offer.

He seemed to operate on an almost ethereal level with his energy, enthusiasm, emotion, and sense of purpose. He made the world better, more welcoming and more exciting. There was always something happening when he was around, and a regular refrain at any gathering was: "when is Flem getting here?" To be with him was to smile, to laugh, to learn. He somehow combined kindness, gentleness and empathy with a rapier wit. His candle burned so bright.

He loved a party and dressing up. His dancing and wide smile meant he was always the centre of attention. But he managed never to be loud or obscene or mean. He simply spread joy. He brought out the best in people - and you wanted to be a better person because of his influence.

He was as engaging a raconteur as he was engaged when listening. But as comfortable and confident as he felt in the world as it was, he also acted on a pressing desire to change it for the better.  An advocate against climate change from the early 90s, he eventually came to believe that material change was easier to achieve from within the establishment tent.

 After leaving Leeds in 1994 he travelled with friends to Canada, signing up as Wwoofers (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) and experiencing the benefits of ‘The Good Life’ and sustainable living. 

When Flemmich returned to England he joined a community theatre co-operative in Dorset, where he honed his skills as a raconteur and actor, travelling the UK and Europe performing ‘Instant Theatre’. His concern for the planet then led him to environmental journalism, writing for the Guardian, Independent, Evening Standard, several local newspapers and editing Environment Business Magazine.

He also worked as a freelance TV reporter and newsreader for LatestTV in Brighton, where his razor sharp wit and clever one-liners were a feature of the bulletins. On moving to Brighton in 2012, he became Chair of Brighton and Hove 10:10 – a not-for-profit that works to reduce carbon emissions - and communications manager for the Brighton Energy Co-operative.

He lectured on fine wine, did voiceovers for CNBC's Responsible Business series and wrote travel, book and film reviews, one of which became part of the GCSE English syllabus. 

Flemmich visited some of the wildest and most remote parts of the planet and as a keen trekker and mountaineer ventured to Everest base camp, climbed Mera Peak, Mont Blanc, and trekked across glaciers in three continents. He even devised "hamyacking" with his younger brother Theo, an activity combining wild camping in hammocks with kayaking.

As a keen triathlete, cyclist and marathon runner, he raised tens of thousands for charity, including when swimming across the Hellespoint, the stretch of water separating Asia and Europe.

But it was an expedition to the North Pole in 2009 that influenced him more than any other travel adventure. Preparation lasted over a year and included the bizarre spectacle of Flemmich dragging his own weight in car tyres, strapped with a harness to his waist, around the suburban streets of Brixton every day for months. He experienced an almost spiritual connection to the Arctic landscape and his first-hand encounter with the effects of climate change had a profound effect on the rest of his life.  

In 2015, he joined the Corporation of Lloyd’s – the body that facilitates and oversees the Lloyd’s of London insurance market. He wrote speeches for the Chairman, CEO and decision-makers that were thoughtful, elegant, and deceptively uncomplicated. To those friends who had followed and questioned his journey from matted-haired hippiedom to besuited brogue wearing Citydom, he simply said: "this is where real change can happen”.

Colleagues at every level at Lloyd’s took him to their hearts, and over time Flemmich became increasingly involved in developing the environmental, social and governance strategy for Lloyd’s. Recently he argued passionately and convincingly that the Lloyd’s market should take responsible underwriting and investment decisions that made sense both commercially and environmentally, particularly in the area of new Arctic drilling for hydro-carbons. He argued that good insurance modelling surely dictated that this should no longer be underwritten, drawing on his own experience of this pristine environment. 

Lloyd’s has this week set out its plans for responsible underwriting and investment in its Sustainability Report, and from 1 January 2022, the company will no longer provide new insurance cover for or make new investments in coal-fired power plants and coal mines, tar or oil sand operations, and Arctic drilling activities.

“This will be a fitting and long-lasting legacy for a deeply respected colleague,” the company said in a statement.

Bruce Carnegie Brown, Chairman of Lloyd’s, added: “Flemmich worked at Lloyd’s for five years and made both a huge contribution to the market and a huge impact on his colleagues with his infectious smile, his unquenchable curiosity to learn new things and meet new people, and his boundless optimism for the future. He is someone who was a joy to work with and is greatly missed by us all.”

Flemmich was about to embark on the next chapter of his life with his beloved Kate and Eloise before collapsing while running on the South Downs above Brighton.

It feels difficult to find anything positive to come from the death at 49 of such an extraordinary person who has given so much and had so much still to offer. Except that all those whose lives he touched are so much better for having had the privilege of knowing Flemmich. He set the bar so high.

For Flem's extended family and friends, losing Flemmich is devastating. The agony that Kate, Eloise, his parents and siblings must feel is unimaginable.

Kate placed Flemmich’s wedding ring on his finger before he passed away. He died on October 28 in Brighton hospital with Kate and his brother Christian by his side.