Janette de Haan

Janette de Haan died peacefully at the Beatson Hospital on 28th June, 2012. 

Janette worked with the Women`s Support Project for 22 years. She was a fierce and skilled advocate for women who had experienced violence or whose children had been sexually abused. Nothing was ever too much trouble for her and she would move heaven and earth to get the result she thought the women deserved. In the process of support work, and through training, she won over and educated workers in many organisations, thereby spreading the benefit of her knowledge to other women coming forward to those agencies. Janette was a founder member of the National Group on Violence Against Women and was instrumental in establishing Scotland`s first domestic abuse court.

Janette`s good colleague qualities included: never being grumpy, reliability, lateral thinking, never letting practical details interfere with a good idea, remembering everyone’s name, boundless enthusiasm, good punctuation and a passion for our work. Also an eye for a fashion bargain, lovely birthday pressies for us all, helping out in the most thoughtful ways, looking beautiful and glam, and dutifully undertaking all commitments which involved the wearing of lipstick and a frock!

At Janette`s funeral, on Thursday 5th July, family and friends paid moving tributes to an inspirational woman.  Janette had asked for donations, in lieu of flowers, to the Womens Support Project, 31 Stockwell Street, Glasgow G1 4RZ, or donate online.

An obituary for Janette was published in the Herald on 6th July.

Many thanks to all who sent cards, messages and donations.  Your support is much appreciated.