The Catherine Hessett Candlelight Fund

Created by: John Ryder

Cathy’s upbringing and her deep Catholic faith gave her the confidence and the passion to tackle injustice throughout her life. A life-long trade unionist, she became one of the youngest ever members of the Employment Tribunals and retained her strong participation in them from that time on.

She was a gifted academic but for Cathy statistics, figures and facts were but tools to deploy in the battle for a fairer society. Her work at Glasgow’s Southern General on head injury statistics helped to revolutionise doctors’ and society’s thinking about just how aware brain injured patients are. Working on behalf of Scotland ’s Finance Minister, Cathy dug deep into the causes of rural deprivation and she pointed the way to fairer funding.

Perhaps the best example of her networking skills came when she discovered that modern energy-saving lighting made her and others ill. She used her organisational skills on behalf of Lupus UK, Migraine Action and other charities to develop the Spectrum Alliance (spectrumalliance.co.uk) into a dynamic campaign which packs a mighty punch.

Having persuaded the UK government of her cause, she was in the process of setting up an EU wide network to win over the European Commission. But as well as building the organisation, she has also quietly helped and advised many individuals in how to deal with their problems with lighting. She was a kind and caring friend to many people.

Throughout her life Cathy was sustained by her Catholic faith which informed her tireless work for a more just and equal society. Of all the charities she supported CAFOD was her favourite and she was described as ‘a great friend of CAFOD’ by the staff. Looking back on the life of this intelligent, compassionate and cultured person, all too tragically cut short, we give thanks for many happy memories Cathy has given us, and for the way she lit up our lives.

The Catherine Hessett Candlelight Fund

Created by: John Ryder

Raised so far: £4090