John knows from his lived experience, the devastating impact that grief can have on a person. After the death of his beloved daughter Heather in 2005, John turned to The Compassionate Friends (TCF) for support.
John says that The Compassionate Friends, who provide support to grieving parents, siblings and grandparents, provided him with the opportunity to grieve, heal and grow after Heather’s death.
“All staff and volunteers at The Compassionate Friends have experienced the loss of a child, and so their kindness and empathy was a great comfort,” said John.
John eventually became a volunteer to support other grieving families and to repay the support, kindness and understanding he had received.
With Heather’s fifth anniversary approaching in 2010, John felt as though he needed to do more to honour Heather’s memory and at the same time support The Compassionate Friends.
“When I became aware of Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation and their Charitable Fund Accounts, I thought how wonderful it would be to set-up a memorial fund in Heather’s name while also supporting The Compassionate Friends.
After learning more about Charitable Fund Accounts with the Foundation, John said he was amazed at how affordable, simple and quick it was to set-up his memorial fund, which he named as The Heather Bradley Memorial Fund.
“It did not take me too long to realise what a wonderful opportunity this was to honour Heather's memory in a way that also benefits The Compassionate Friends.”
Heather was a caring and loving actress, with a vibrant personality which matched her distinctive curly red hair. Although Heather is no longer seen on television or films, with the Heather Bradley Memorial Fund her name will continue in perpetuity.
John’s son Alexander, who is a professional photographer in France, supports Heather’s memorial fund by publishing a limited run of a high-quality calendars and donates proceeds from the sale of each calendar to The Heather Bradley Memorial Fund.
“All in all, this has been a win, win, win situation for me. A win, for The Compassionate Friends as they receive a donation from Heather’s memorial fund each year to supports their important work with bereaved parents and siblings; and a win for Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation as they work towards initiatives that will best tackle the current and future needs of Melbourne.”
“For more than ten years now, I have honoured Heather’s life. I also win because Heather's name will continue in perpetuity and l'm supporting The Compassionate Friends to carry on their good work.”
To learn more about how you can honour your loved ones, through the establishment of a memorial Charitable Fund Account, please contact our Development Team, on 03 9633 0033 or via email.