Proud family reflect on the work of the Yasmine McClory Foundation ahead of the anniversary of her death

A passionate campaigner’s good work lives on after her death — with her family securing her legacy in the community in the year since she died.

The Yasmine McClory Foundation was launched last year in memory of Yasmine McClory, of Sutton-on-Trent, who died suddenly in February 2024 as a result of pulmonary embolism.

The Foundation was created by her parents Annelie and Jason, and siblings Jess and Ev in May 2024 to keep Yasmine’s flame burning by supporting causes she was passionate about, including food poverty, mental health, the LGBTQ+ community, and helping children with learning disabilities.

And now, as the one-year anniversary of Yasmine’s death approaches on February 21, her family have looked back at a roller-coaster year.

Her sister Jess said that although Yasmine’s death was heart-breaking, she was surrounded by her friends and family when she died — and it was the “best possible way” it could have happened as they were all able to be there with her.

The Yasmine McClory Foundation was then launched in May to support causes that meant the most to Yasmine, Jess said, as a way to keep her memory alive and so that people associate Yasmine’s name with these good causes.

“People ask why we’re not a charity, but we decided to become as CIC [community interest company] as, if we were charity, we’d have to choose just one cause to support,” Jess explained. “We couldn’t just choose one, and Yasmine wanted to help everybody, so that’s what we want to do — help as many people as possible.”

Shortly after the launch, the family went to a music festival which had been a favourite of Yasmine’s, proudly wearing their foundation t-shirts, and it was especially poignant as this was the first year that Ev was old enough to attend.

“It was a difficult day but it was lovely to have experienced it together,” Jess said.

At the same time the family attended the festival, the first Yasmine McClory Foundation fundraiser was taking place as Muskham Old Boys were playing a charity football match against Lincoln, which raised £1,700 to be divided between the foundation and Lincoln’s charity of choice.