Remembering Barbara Heron

Written and collated by her husband George Heron

BARBARA AND THE CREATIVE LIVING CENTRE

Barbara and the Creative Living Centre were a perfect match. For her the Centre provided an ideal anchor for her work following her enforced retirement from Bury College in 1996 and she brought to it a commitment and a range of skills which proved invaluable for the development of the Centre. She had her own massage practice and was often experimenting with other therapies and supporting other causes but she was always in contact and available to help, Barbara’s prior experience working with people with emotional and learning difficulties gave her a clear understanding of its vision and its values as well as the personal skills to relate to its members. Her qualification as a massage therapist gave her a ‘hands-on’ role with them, further extended as she learnt new therapies and took on exercise classes for wellbeing.

Since Barbara’s death in December 2024, the tributes her family have received all emphasise the personal friendship she offered.   She gave encouragement and support to all she met.   Barbara switched from teaching to massage around her 50th birthday because it enabled her to get closer to the people she was working with.   Her practice as a massage therapist always emphasised the links between emotional stress and the muscles she worked on.   Conversations in the massage room were as important as the massage itself.    This tribute from Eileen was typical "I will never forget Barbara and shall be ever grateful for her kind, caring, gentle soul helping me through many challenging times with her healing hands and understanding listening ear. Her caring farewell was always ' Go Well' I wish her the same now. Rest In Peace"

Luckily Barbara began her work as a therapist just as ideas for CLC were taking shape. At first work in the CLC was led by therapists. Before her retirement as a teacher in 1996, Barbara became a part of the group. Afterwards, as she continued to develop her skills and ran a small private practice she was free to take a fuller part in the life of the CLC and could make herself available whenever she could help. I believe her close attention to the needs of those she met embodied the ethos of the CLC and was always at the heart of her work whatever role she undertook.   

Barbara was an incredible human being. I came to the CLC on a placement and met Barbara when the centre was being run by volunteers.  She became a trustee and then the chair of trustees.  She did my interview that led me to becoming a member of staff.  She was always thinking of others.  She was devoted to helping and finding ways to help others find their path through life.  A wonderful person who will be greatly missed and always remembered. (Shelley, Senior Support Coordinator, CLC)

"Barbara was an incredible part of CLC helping so many improve their lives (Maura, Former CLC Trustee and Chair of Trustees)
"Barbara was great to me always and particularly when I was Chair at the Creative Living Centre.  I’ll always recall her North East brogue and the wonderful care she took during her healing massages."  (Ken, Former CLC Trustee and Chair of Trustees)

In 2017, towards the end of her longest period as Chair of Trustees, Barbara gave a talk to mark the 20th anniversary of the CLC  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWu99UQcfoQ . This gave a history of the Centre to that point. This next section is based mainly on what she said then and the words in quotation marks are hers.   The CLC aimed to supplement NHS mental health services by providing ‘a space with music, with plants, with friendly people, with stories, everything that was creative that allowed people to support each other without necessarily drugs and all the rest of it’ .     

The CLC grew because of ‘the immediate and apparent success of our innovative way of working with people’.  However it also needed funding, political support and effective administration and therefore a formal structure. In 2017 it became a limited company and a charity. Like all similar charities, it could only continue through successful bids for money for specific projects.   

At first Barbara preferred to take a back seat in administration. However, from her previous role. she had an abundance of local contacts an understanding of funding systems and many of the skills needed to make the CLC effective.  She offered these freely: a wise woman to be consulted to write or improve bids, suggest ways forward and overcome barriers to development. In the noughties she did accept formal positions, acting as Company Secretary from 2001 to 2004 and staying on as a Trustee after that.  
 
Around 2007/2008 there was a crisis when existing funding ran out before bids had ensured new grants were available. There was no money to pay staff. For a time unpaid Trustees ran the Centre.  When new funding bids were successful, Barbara was determined to provide the CLC with a more secure footing. Manager Liz and support worker Shelley were appointed. Liz was in office until she passed away in 2017 and  Shelley still works in the Centre. The Board of Trustees was strengthened as Barbara used contacts elsewhere to draw in well-qualified new trustees. Jane Wild was one of them. "A key part we played in each other’s lives was in 2011 when she recruited me to become a Trustee with the Creative Living Centre. She thought I would be useful. We worked closely together her as Chair and me as Secretary, until she retired from the Trustees in 2018. These were exciting times as we managed to increase staff numbers, widen the remit of CLC and move to another building. Barbara was respected by all who became involved in CLC, including Members, fellow Trustees, Staff and Volunteers. She will be missed by all who were privileged to work alongside her." (Jane Wild, Former Trustee and Company Secretary)"

The Centre also won ceremonial recognition in 2015 via the Queen’s Award for voluntary service designed to recognise exceptional work done by volunteer groups in the community and described as the highest accolade a voluntary group can receive. Barbara and manager Liz attended a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on 28th May.  

By 2018, aged 72, Barbara reluctantly began to accept that she had to become less active. She retired as a Trustee and withdrew from nearly all activities in the Centre. Around Easter 2019 she also retired as a massage therapist a couple of weeks before the Covid lockdown. She missed her work in the Centre and they missed her. When volunteer Jon set up set up exercise classes he turned to Barbara for advice and support and encouraged her to deliver her signature classes remotely. Here is his tribute: "I met Barbara as she wanted to help in the Pain group that I had started, she had ran one previously and her endless knowledge and enthusiasm for helping people really shone through and made the group what is it today. We have so many resources that I use for the group and for any other members struggling with pain. I learned so much from Barbara and will always remember her kindness." 

in 2022, the Creative Living Centre celebrated its 25 year anniversary. Barbara reached out with the following message "I am so sorry I could not get to the centre yesterday.  It sounds as though it went really well – and I just wanted to say congratulations for all your work in the centre and for the celebration.  I will say more when I can think straight but I just wanted to acknowledge you all.  Please pass on my congratulations and very best wishes for the future to  everyone, and to those new in post who I don’t really know.  I hope to visit before too long to say hello in person". Unfortunately Barbara was not able to visit the centre in person and passed away in December 2024.  

Barbara's daughter reached out to the CLC in January 2025 and explained that as part of the memorial for Barbara, they would like to ask for donations towards the Creative Living Centre. Barbara's loved ones raised a total of £986 which has supported ongoing activities at the Creative Living Centre.

As a meaningful tribute to Barbara, the Creative Living Centre team including the Board of Trustees thought it would be appropriate to have an annual volunteering award called the ‘Barbara Heron Volunteer’ award. This will mean that’s Barbara’s name and legacy will continue into the future and forever be linked to the CLC and will form part of the annual volunteer week celebrations.