Mum’s Funeral

UPDATE: I have had to disable paypal as a payment method as my paypal account isnt a business account. Please use the alternative method to donate. Thank you.

First Video Message from Jonny

Hi, my name is Jonny and my mum, Valerie Bates, died on the 13th of July as a result of an accident. She died without her family around her due to tragic circumstances and I am asking for your help, on behalf of myself and my siblings, to raise the money for her funeral, where we, her children, can say goodbye to her for the last time.  

Our mother was a creative soul, deeply wounded by her painful and abusive upgringing. She loved and touched the lives of many in her lifetime, despite and perhaps even because of the struggles that she faced in her darkest hours. She was a proud mother of four children, two sons and two daughters, who in her eyes had not just survived painful beginnings in life, like herself, but she recognised and witnessed their blossoming beyond such survival. She has also left behind two beautiful grandsons who adored her. 

As her children, we want to be able to send her on her journey beyond this world with all the love and passion with which she brought us into it.  

The minimum cost of cremation and service is £2000 (which is required upfront), and it is proving difficult to get this amount of money together in time.    

Please help us put our mother to rest by donating what you can and also sharing this fundraiser with anyone who you think might like to help in any way. We have till about the 28th of July to raise the money, due to there being a time limit on how long our mother may remain at the hospital mortuary.    

If it so happens that more than the minimum cost is raised and depending on how much that is, we would like to sponsor a bench, tree or  artwork for her favourite park in east London.   

You have our boundless gratitude for your help in this time of grief.   

With all our Love  Jonathan and Wayne  x