Memorial Bench For Chris Clifford
Donation protected
Yesterday we said goodbye to our beloved Chris who tragically took his own life only a few weeks ago. Chris was and is one of the kindest souls I’ve ever had the pleasure of befriending and I’ve been blessed to have his as a best friend for the last 5 years.
As Chris has been cremated and not buried, I wanted to arrange something that can be placed somewhere permanently for anyone that loves him to go and pay their respects or reflect on how wonderful he was.
My plan is to raise enough money to purchase a memorial bench, complete with a plaque and if possible painted black and white to resemble a clapperboard to keep Chris’ film making dreams in our minds when we visit the bench. I would then like to have the bench installed in the small park directly opposite Haydon School. Both the school and the park are where me and my best friends had a lot our fondest memories with Chris, so this area holds a lot of significance for us as a group.
Once Hillingdon council have agreed and the bench has been installed, I want to hold a fundraising event in the school hall at Haydon where anyone who knew and loved Chris can attend, and all are welcome to showcase something creative that channels their inner Chris. Whether it’s singing a song that reminds you of him or that you’ve written for him, reading a poem for him, writing a speech about your fondest memory with him or showcasing your favourite photos and videos of him, all is welcome. I want it to be a celebration of his life and all of the lives that he positively impacted, and the friends he made along the way. Throughout the event, I’d like to have collection boxes around to collect donations which I will hand deliver to The Haven + London, who are a London based charity dedicated to supporting the mental, emotional and spiritual health of people in London’s creative industries. As we have all seen, it’s often the creatives who struggle the most with their mental health, so having a charity dedicated to them specifically is wonderful and I’d love to be able to make people more aware of The Haven.
After the fundraiser, I’d love if everyone could take a short walk across the road where we can have a grand unveiling of Chris’ bench together.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me and each other to get through the hardest thing we’ve had to deal with, and who continues to show their love and support to this man who deserves nothing else. He will never ever be forgotten.
Please help me to make this idea into a reality for Chris.
Thank you.
Natalie
As Chris has been cremated and not buried, I wanted to arrange something that can be placed somewhere permanently for anyone that loves him to go and pay their respects or reflect on how wonderful he was.
My plan is to raise enough money to purchase a memorial bench, complete with a plaque and if possible painted black and white to resemble a clapperboard to keep Chris’ film making dreams in our minds when we visit the bench. I would then like to have the bench installed in the small park directly opposite Haydon School. Both the school and the park are where me and my best friends had a lot our fondest memories with Chris, so this area holds a lot of significance for us as a group.
Once Hillingdon council have agreed and the bench has been installed, I want to hold a fundraising event in the school hall at Haydon where anyone who knew and loved Chris can attend, and all are welcome to showcase something creative that channels their inner Chris. Whether it’s singing a song that reminds you of him or that you’ve written for him, reading a poem for him, writing a speech about your fondest memory with him or showcasing your favourite photos and videos of him, all is welcome. I want it to be a celebration of his life and all of the lives that he positively impacted, and the friends he made along the way. Throughout the event, I’d like to have collection boxes around to collect donations which I will hand deliver to The Haven + London, who are a London based charity dedicated to supporting the mental, emotional and spiritual health of people in London’s creative industries. As we have all seen, it’s often the creatives who struggle the most with their mental health, so having a charity dedicated to them specifically is wonderful and I’d love to be able to make people more aware of The Haven.
After the fundraiser, I’d love if everyone could take a short walk across the road where we can have a grand unveiling of Chris’ bench together.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me and each other to get through the hardest thing we’ve had to deal with, and who continues to show their love and support to this man who deserves nothing else. He will never ever be forgotten.
Please help me to make this idea into a reality for Chris.
Thank you.
Natalie
Organizer
Nat Elena Kyriacou
Organizer