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My friend, Mel Houston, died aged 55 years on 1st January 2023. Following a tragic accident Mel was airlifted to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where, despite all efforts, she did not survive.

I’m doing a fundraising swim in memory of Mel, and to raise awareness and funding for the Mel Houston Accreditation Grant.

Mel’s partner Kath has written the following:

Mel launched her working career in Preventive Conservation through an Institute of Conservation (Icon) internship hosted by the National Trust for Scotland. This led to a permanent post and then, with funding from Icon Scotland’s Accreditation Grant, she went on to achieve professional Accreditation.

Mel had a passion for learning and loved sharing her knowledge with others. She had an exceptional talent for making the dullest and most complex subjects fun, interesting and intelligible. Mel was known for her incisive mind, clarity of thought, good nature and unique sense of humour – always looking beyond the obvious.

It was Mel’s drive and vision that moved us from Glasgow to Elibank Cottage in the Tweed Valley. She meticulously researched the fruit trees to create the orchard, the plants for the garden and outbuildings to keep our ducks, geese and chickens safe. It is with sadness that I recognise the fruit of this hard work is only now coming together – but which I can no longer share with Mel.

I have been overwhelmed by the love, kindness and support of our friends and Mel’s colleagues, both at the time of her death and these many months afterward. Trees have been planted and annual events - The Houston Cup and Green Fairies nights - held in her name and in her memory.

I was very touched when Isobel Griffin, Vice Chair of Icon Scotland Group, suggested naming the Group’s Accreditation Grant in Mel’s name. With the support of the Group and Emma Jihta, Icon’s Chief Executive, the Mel Houston Accreditation Grant was launched in Glasgow on 21st November 2024 at the annual Plenderleith Lecture. This Grant offers conservators £475 to cover 50% of the costs of applying for Icon Accreditation, of which Mel was a strong advocate as part of a conservator’s continuing professional development. More widely, Mel contributed to Icon as a supervisor to Icon internship placements, as a mentor to several Icon interns working towards their own Accreditation and, for six years, as an Icon trustee.

Once again, I have been brought to tears when our friend Linda Bendle offered to do ‘a wee fundraiser’ for the Mel Houston Accreditation Grant by swimming (over the course of 2025 and in a swimming pool) the equivalent distance of swimming from Ardrossan to Arran, around Arran to Lamlash and out to Holy Island, back to Lamlash, up to Brodick and back to Ardrossan. A total of 110 miles or 7040 lengths of a 25m swimming pool. Due to Linda’s work commitments, she is only able to swim once a week, and therefore has to swim around 130 – 150 lengths at a time. It is so apt that Linda is choosing to swim as Mel was always in her element in water and, on a memorable holiday in Croatia, we had to invest in Croatian swimsuits and, unlike the well-tanned locals, we were the two white milk bottles bobbing around in the sea.

Mel had so much more to give and the loss of her from the lives of those who loved her leaves an enormous chasm.

Kath Brown

I'm doing this fundraiser to raise awareness of the Mel Houston Accreditation Grant, and to raise funds for our future conservators. Please share and donate if you feel able. Thank you so much.

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