Harriet Cullis - a Memorial

Harriet Cullis was a lady who inspired all those who met her by having a gentle but firm attitude to what was being put to her.

We, Tricia and myself, first “met” Harriet on a conference call; she had been told about our daughter’s cases and what we were trying to achieve and was interested to hear what we had to say.  Our ideas were embryonic and we had no clear agenda, we simply knew we wanted stalking taken seriously and not just something that happened to famous people.  Harriet, being a mother herself, knew why and what we wanted to change. We all met at Harriet’s house for a meeting and we have never looked back.  She had such a wealth of information and contacts from her magistrate days and was so enthusiastic about us wanting to start a charity.  She knew instinctively how we felt and was tremendously supportive, pointing out that it would not be easy but also never making us feel we could not do it.  She had a lovely way of keeping our feet firmly on the ground whilst never losing her passion for what we wanted to do.

Harriet touched our lives for such a short time but made such an unforgettable mark, that we feel extremely privileged to have known her. Her passing has left great sadness, but also great joy that we were permitted for a while to have known such a person as her.  We know that she would be so proud of what has been achieved and what will be achieved in the future, mostly because of the belief she had in us. 

Although she took a degree in law at the London School of Economics, family commitments prevented her from practising. However, she later served as a magistrate for 23 years on the Wimbledon bench, where she finished as Chairman. During this time she was a member of the Magistrates Association and was in due course elected to the Association's Council. Simultaneously she was also active as a school governor. She was Chairman, first of a primary school in south west London, and subsequently of Bute House Preparatory School in Hammersmith. She was closely involved with several other charities, notably the Family Justice Centre in Croydon and Standing Together.

Carol Faruqui