Supporting children. Strengthening systems. Protecting families.
The Barry Martin Foundation develops practical resources, community initiatives and advocacy projects that help bereaved children, support families and promote lasting change.
Every project is inspired by Barry's legacy and shaped by lived experience, with compassion at the heart of everything we do.
Explore the projects continuing Barry's legacy.
Barry the Brave & Bazza Bear
A story of strength, love and hope.
Barry the Brave and Bazza Bear are the Foundation's flagship bereavement resources, created by Oliver and Daniel Martin following the loss of their dad, firefighter Barry Martin.
Written and designed by bereaved children, for bereaved children, Barry the Brave gently explores grief through storytelling, helping children understand difficult emotions, begin conversations about loss and recognise that they are never alone.
Alongside the book is Bazza Bear, a comforting companion created to provide reassurance during life's most difficult moments. Together, the book and bear offer emotional understanding, comfort and hope, giving children something to read and engage with, something to hold, and a lasting reminder that they are loved.
Our resources provide a companion for bedtime, counselling sessions, school days, and create a gentle way to talk about death, memories, worry, and love.
Our ambition is to make Barry the Brave and Bazza Bear available where children and families need them most. By working alongside hospitals, schools, intensive care units, police services and other partner organisations, we aim to place these resources at the first point of contact following bereavement, ensuring support is available when it matters most.
We believe support should meet families where they are, not ask families to search for it.
Everything we create is guided by one simple hope - that no bereaved child ever feels forgotten, overlooked or alone.
With Barry the Brave and Bazza Bear by their side, children are reminded that although grief changes life forever, it never breaks the bond of love.
Barry's Benches
A place to pause. A place to reflect. A place to find support.
Sometimes people need more than a place to sit. They need a quiet moment, a chance to breathe, and somewhere they know help is close by.
Barry's Benches is a Barry Martin Foundation project that will place specially designed benches in communities across Scotland. Each bench will provide a peaceful space for reflection while also offering immediate access to trusted support.
Using a QR code on every bench, visitors will be able to access bereavement organisations, mental health services and emergency helplines whenever they need them. Whether someone is grieving, feeling overwhelmed or simply looking for guidance, support will be only a scan away.
Every bench will also tell Barry's story and share the values that continue to inspire our work, courage, kindness and hope.
Our vision is simple:
To create places where people feel remembered, supported and never alone.
Support shouldn't depend on knowing where to look. By placing trusted information in everyday public spaces, we hope help will always be within reach.
Advocacy
Turning experience into lasting change.
The Barry Martin Foundation is committed to using lived experience to help shape safer systems, stronger support and meaningful change.
We believe that every family deserves to be heard, every child deserves compassionate support, and every organisation has the opportunity to learn and improve.
By working alongside professionals, organisations and decision-makers, we hope to contribute to conversations that strengthen public safety, improve bereavement support and encourage learning that benefits future generations.
Our advocacy is guided by collaboration, evidence and compassion. While change often takes time, we believe that listening, learning and working together can make a lasting difference.
Our areas of focus
Bereavement Support – Improving support for children, families and communities following loss.
Mental Health – Promoting awareness, early support and access to trusted resources.
Public Safety – Encouraging learning, accountability and continuous improvement.
Health & Safety – Supporting initiatives that help protect people and prevent harm.
Looking Ahead
Advocacy is about more than responding to the past. It is about helping to build a future where families are better supported, organisations are held to high standards of accountability, and positive change leaves a lasting legacy.
