The Ivy Barclay Foundation

The
Ivy Barclay
Foundation

Helping families with the unexpected loss of a child

Mission Statement

The Ivy Barclay Foundation is committed to supporting parents and siblings who have lost a child to accidental death.

By providing guidance, community, and comfort, we want to make sure families experiencing the unthinkable don’t feel alone.

In Memory of Ivy

On the 27th of June 2021, we tragically lost our beautiful Ivy in an accident in our garden.

The shock, trauma, and grief we experienced (and continue to experience) cannot be described, and we faced the darkest time of our lives. In the immediate aftermath, while we had a lot of support from friends and the local community, we didn’t receive any official support from government bodies or other charities.

Because this tragedy happened in the midst of the COVID pandemic, our family in the UK were also unable to fly over to provide support.

It was then we realised there was a need for a foundation like ours, as while there is support for childhood deaths caused by illness, motor vehicle accidents, drowning or suicide, there is little to no support available for sudden, accidental deaths.

We didn’t want any other families to feel as alone and forgotten as we did following the awful day we lost our gorgeous girl.

And so we created the Ivy Barclay Foundation in Ivy’s memory – to help other families dealing with the unexpected loss of a child.

What We Do

Educating Authorities

The Ivy Barclay Foundation is dedicated to providing guidance to authorities on effectively supporting bereaved families, especially in cases of sudden death, considering the profound shock and the associated reactions that may arise.

Lobbying for Change

We are actively advocating for legislative changes to guarantee that families receive emotional, social, and financial support from both the Federal and State Governments.

Public Speaking & Education

Sarah Barclay, a business owner and mother of three, founded The Ivy Barclay Foundation in response to the loss of her child in 2021.

Sarah shares her personal journey through the unexpected loss of a child and the absence of emotional, social and financial assistance during this time.

The Ivy Barclay Foundation’s commitment is to support bereaved families, schools and employers. 

To find out more information regarding booking Sarah as a guest speaker please get in touch.

The Ivy Barclay Foundation

Future Plans

Online Support Groups

We want to offer continued support to families through our online groups.

Grieving parents have very few places they can turn for effective, ongoing support.

Retreats and Respite Accommodation

The Foundation’s future plan is to build a retreat for families to stay, connect and look at different therapies addressing grief and trauma holistically.

We would like to incorporate qualified professionals such as Grief Counsellors / Psychologists and Social workers.

This accommodation will also be offered as respite accommodation for families as well as host more specific camps such as camps for siblings.

Community Events

The Ivy Barclay Foundation Charity Launch

The Ivy Barclay Foundation Charity Launch Event was held at Busselton Golf Club on the 28th January 2023.

Between 200 and 250 people attended and the night was an incredible success raising awareness and some much needed funds.

The night was run by our marvellous volunteers who served up a storm in the kitchen, all food was kindly donated by local businesses.

Laurissa Knowles compared the evening and the opening ceremony and welcome to country was conducted by Josh Whiteland of Koomal Dreaming.

Guest speakers included Libby Mettam, MLA member for Vasse – Leader of the Liberal party, as Patron of the charity and Mayor Grant Henley.

Everyone enjoyed lots of live entertainment, a DJ, as well as an enormous raffle and auction.

Busselton Golf Club

The charity Ambrose competition was held on the 22nd September 2023 at the Busselton Golf Club with 28 teams of 4 players participating.

The weather was perfect and everybody really enjoyed the day.

All monies raised will go into the care for and support of families following the unexpected loss of a child.

If you have an event coming up and you would like to support a worthy cause, please get in touch.

The Ivy Barclay Foundation

Community Party

Ivy was very much immersed within our local community from a young age as a performing artist and a wildlife carer. Ivy also had many friends.

With Ivy’s sudden and unexpected passing we knew it would have left a whole community shocked and saddened.

With so many friends that never got a chance to say goodbye, and with Ivy’s funeral service a more intimate affair, it stood to reason that Ivy should be celebrated at a community party.

We were overwhelmed at the team effort that was made to pull off a huge party with some two to three hundred party guests.

It was thanks to the community that this happened, everyone rallied round with catering, entertainment and everything else in between.

As the sun began to set that evening all of the children scattered petals into the ocean to honour Ivy. The beach being a firm favourite of Ivy’s where she spent a lot of her childhood.

Community Party gathering
Community Party show
Community Party by the beach

Odd Socks Day

Accidental death is the leading cause of death in children within Australia.

Here at The Ivy Barclay Foundation, we are hoping to be the change to support families in WA, and eventually throughout Australia, as there is nothing like Ivy’s charity in place anywhere in the country.

Losing a child is the single most traumatic event that can happen to a family, and the passing of a child suddenly and unexpectedly significantly adds to the trauma. The isolation that often follows can also be extremely detrimental. Surviving this trauma requires much support and takes time.

At The Ivy Barclay Foundation, we want to build a community whereby families have a voice and are heard, and more importantly supported.

Care packages and online support groups are some of the services the charity currently offers; future plans include establishing a retreat to provide families a place to meet other families going through similar circumstances, with an aim of addressing acute grief and trauma holistically. This retreat will also be offered as respite accommodation for families who simply need to get away.

In 2022 we held our first Odd Sock Day for The Ivy Barclay Foundation and it was a huge success.

Ivy was renowned for wearing “odd socks”. Once Ivy passed, her fellow dance students at Leeuwin College of Performance wore “odd socks” to dance in honour of Ivy.

With this in mind, on Ivy’s first anniversary we asked members of the community to wear their odd socks.

Not only did this honour our beautiful girl but with the Foundation only just in its infancy, this raised awareness for the charity and what we intended to do.

This event turned into a fundraiser and we got quite a few businesses, childcare centers and schools on board and raised some much needed funds.

This was the charity’s first official fundraiser and we were overwhelmed at the community’s response. We have now made this a very special annual community event.

Please join in our fundraising activity by donning your odd socks and making a gold coin donation to raise awareness and some much-needed funds.

HBF Run For A Reason

HBF Run for a Reason is Perth’s biggest annual fitness fundraising challenge and has been bringing over 30,000 people together annually since 2010.

Each year, thousands of participants choose a charity and fundraising goal to run, walk, or wheel towards.

Get Involved

Fundraise

There are a number of different ways you can raise money for the Ivy Barclay Foundation, including hosting a Silly Sock Day at your school, organising a charity walk, or holding a trivia night.

Connect with us to find out how.

Partner

Are you a business looking to partner with a charity to provide support?

We are open to partnerships with businesses looking to support a worthy cause.

Get in touch for more information on how we can work together.

The Ivy Barclay Foundation

Buy

You can also support the Ivy Barlcay Foundation by visiting our online shop. 

Here you will find some accessories and the ‘Friends make the world go round, Artwork by Ivy’s Friends‘ collection.

This collection was created using artwork submitted by Ivy’s friends.

Odd Socks Day feet
Odd Socks Day legs
Odd Socks Day girls
Odd Socks Day girls

Containers For Change

Keep our Member Number handy: C10802301

You can use it to identify yourself at the refund point and track the change you’re making.

Sponsors

West Australian Alternative Energy

West Australian Alternative Energy Logo

The Berry Farm

The Ivy Barclay Foundation

Commonwealth Bank

The Ivy Barclay Foundation - Commonwealth Bank

BayWa r.e.

The Ivy Barclay Foundation

Lawrence & Hanson Electrical Distributors

The Ivy Barclay Foundation

William Barrett & Sons

The Ivy Barclay Foundation

The Busselton Freemasons

The Ivy Barclay Foundation

Lions Club Busselton

The Ivy Barclay Foundation

Patron of The Ivy Barclay Foundation

Libby Mettam MLA

MEMBER FOR VASSE

Leader of the WA Liberal Party; Health; Mental Health; Disability Services; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence

Libby has been an amazing support and a real asset to our charity, she is compassionate, approachable and genuinely cares about others.

Libby Mettam MLA
Libby Mettam MLA

About Ivy

Ivy Barclay

Ivy was just nine years old at the time of her passing, and was renowned for her caring and compassionate nature.

Ivy had hundreds of friends, from babies to the elderly, many of whom were outsiders and felt they didn’t fit in – until they met Ivy.

Ivy hated to see people and animals suffering, and we know that she would approve of this charity we have founded in her honour.

Ivy left a positive impression on those she met with her sparkling energy, and was a vivacious spirit who always stuck up for the underdog.

A free spirit, Ivy adored time in nature, relished beach days, and had a vivid imagination which was frequently demonstrated through her love for art.

She was a wildlife carer, dancer, actress, and acrobat and a self-confessed tomboy who loved spending time with her buddies.

Ivy is sorely missed and never forgotten.

Ivy Barclay at the beach

The Barclay family

The Barclay family (Sarah, Simon, Jemima and Solomon) love the outdoors, caring for animals, and relish spending time together as a family. They love to travel and continue to do so in honour of Ivy, as one of the things she loved most was to travel and enjoy new experiences.

The caring family is passionate about supporting others and the community where possible.

The Barclay family are advocates for the environment and this is demonstrated through the ownership and management of their successful renewable energy company, which they founded in 2006.

The Ivy Barclay Foundation

Resources

Grief has ripple effects that start from the individual but extend way beyond that, and experiencing a lack of emotional capacity is among the ripple effects of grief.

Parents can be physically exhausted and unable to keep up with their kids in the moment. The physical and emotional impact of grief can disrupt family routines and hinder a parent’s ability to socially engage or communicate with their children.

What Grieving Parents Need

Grieving parents need to make time to take care of themselves and get support. This can be difficult when you have children at home. One of the biggest challenge can be finding alone time to process each individual loss.

For a mum or dad who is grieving, we recommend that they take the steps to tend to their own grief. You can’t pour into someone’s cup until you fill your own cup.

Of course, just as there is no one right way to grieve, there isn’t one direct route to healing.

Experts share some tips on how to parent through the pain.