On Monday 18th September, Stacey passed away with John, Pat and Stephen by her side having been visited in her final days by close friends who had supported her throughout her illness. Stacey had been reassured that Keegan would be well looked after by the close family unit and the many, many friends who will ensure that Stacey’s wishes for the future are fulfilled. 

Brave is an overused adjective, but for Stacey it is the word which immediately leaps to my mind. She never let her illness stop her and many of you will remember her appearances in the parents’ races on sports day over the last couple of years. Many staff and parents were glad that the weather was so warm so that they could keep their sunglasses on to hide their tears. 

Stacey’s kindness stood out for everyone that I have spoken to in recent days. Her willingness and drive to make life better for others, despite her own challenges, made her such a remarkable and inspirational person to know. She was the champion of anyone who she saw needing support. I don’t think it would do us any harm to be more like Stacey and it is certainly a yard stick by which I intend to measure my own contributions. 

The very first conversation that I had with Stacey centred on her family connection with the Westgate Primary School and the fact that Keegan was the sixth generation of the family to attend the school. There was a real pride whenever Stacey spoke about the school and I will remember her rousing speech on the playground as we went into COVID lockdown as she thanked the staff for the way in which they had prepared the children for the unknown with care and compassion. I may not have correctly remembered the exact words used by Stacey that afternoon but it had a bit of the Henry V speech about it and to paraphrase “I’ve got the biggest mouth so I have been nominated to speak on behalf of the parents.” My goodness, she had an ability to gather people together and to capture a mood well. 

On a personal note, when my son Cameron was diagnosed with a brain tumour, Stacey’s support was unwavering. This week, Cameron asked ‘was Stacey the lovely lady who made me my care pack for my time at Birmingham Children’s Hospital?’ It was, and Stacey’s kindness in going out of her way to think of others is something recognised by everyone who has spoken to me about how wonderful a support shewas.  

Keegan has astounded us all this week with his courage and maturity. He is an amazing young man who is an absolute pleasure to have as part of the Westgate family. We recognise all of the same values that Stacey held in Keegan and you could not hope to meet a more generous and supportive friend to others. Keegan is a real credit to Stacey, Stephen, John and Pat. 

Keegan has been helping to tend to the allotment/garden area at Westgate and knowing Stacey’s support of the projects that we have worked on in recent years, we will be naming this new area the Stacey Woolerton Memorial Garden. I hope that this will give John, Pat, Stephen and Keegan the knowledge that there will be a strong connection between Stacey and Westgate for the future. 

Thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about Stacey’s connection with Westgate and for donating in memory of our amazingly brave and courageous mother, daughter, wife and friend to the whole Westgate family.