RIP Catherine Morrison

Cath Morrison’s vocation at The Lilias Graham Trust grew from a steady commitment to families living through crisis. When she arrived, she identified a gap no one had addressed: parents who wanted to care for their children but lacked the support to show they could. She built the Trust’s independent parenting capacity assessments from the ground up, creating a service that offered honesty, clear guidance and a real chance to rebuild.

Her leadership of Braendam House became central to this work. She shaped it into a place where parents were assessed with dignity rather than suspicion and where development was treated as essential. Students travelled from around the world to learn from the community she created. Under her leadership, Braendam House became a setting where parents could regroup, regain confidence and stay connected to their children.

Cath understood that families rarely face a single challenge. She built strong relationships with social services, mental health practitioners and educational organisations, and her commitment to collaboration helped establish the Trust as a point of reference across Scotland.

She also pushed for wider change. Cath spoke up for families who were easy for systems to overlook and argued for policies that recognised their strength and potential. Her mix of empathy and persistence shaped the culture around her.

Through her leadership, the Trust helped shift how family preservation is understood in Scotland. Her work widened the space for parents facing hardship to remain with their children and to be treated as capable of change.

Cath served as CEO for seventeen years before retiring last year. She had previously worked with Sacro, The Richmond Fellowship and The Samaritans.

Catherine leaves behind her husband, her beloved siblings Mary, Lenny and Peter, and her much loved nieces and nephews. Her funeral takes place today in Stirling.