Values and qualities
Open
Empathetic
Available
Honest
Sustainable
Safe
Affordable
Flexible
Our commitment
United Nations - Sustainable Development Goals
Critical Info aligns its business practices to strive towards the following United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development
Goals:
- Education
- No poverty (funeral)
- Good health and wellbeing (focus on improving grief outcomes)
- Gender equality (access for all and inclusive language use)
- Reduced inequalities
- Sustainable communities
- Responsible consumption
Charity support
We encourage the financial support of charities and not-for-profit organisations that alleviate funeral poverty, support the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and their connection to homelands and country as well as the importance of LGBTQIA+ and kink-friendly organisations in our deathcare community.
Research funding
We are funding research with Melbourne University DeathTech Research team to gain specific data about funeral poverty and the economic cost of death administration in the Australian community.
“..Both brought me face-to-face with the crucial importance of end-of-life planning, and made me determined to establish a secure platform that would empower people with the knowledge and tools they need for informed decisions and comprehensive preparation..”
Founder story
Catherine Ashton
Two personal experiences spurred the creation of Critical Info – my involvement in a serious car accident in 2019, and the unexpected death of a dear friend in 2023. Both brought me face-to-face with the crucial importance of end-of-life planning, and made me determined to establish a secure platform that would empower people with the knowledge and tools they need for informed decisions and comprehensive preparation.
Throughout its development, Critical Info has been supported by several organisations with specialist resources; this support will continue as the platform evolves. In summary, its content spans the legal frameworks applicable to all deaths in Australia as well as the intricacies of dealing with medical institutions and the funeral industry. It also covers much of what’s currently available to help people prepare for and cope with the legal, administrative, psychological – and where relevant, spiritual – aspects of death.
Many of the skills honed in my previous professional roles (in event management, caretaking for a National Trust property, and business management for my husband’s company) have proven consistently valuable as Critical Info has taken shape. They include a natural diligence and curiosity, broad professional and personal communication skills, research, administration and organisational skills, and substantial business expertise.
Critical Info is also built on my core values: openness, honesty, empathy, safety, availability, affordability, flexibility and sustainability. Establishing a social enterprise aligns comfortably with those values, and with my conscience in turn.
What we do
Don't Be Caught Dead Podcast
The thought-provoking podcast that will challenge your perspective on life…… and death.
Listen to soul-stirring stories told by people who have experienced the death of a loved one. Learn from interviews with experts in the deathcare industry, from funeral directors to trauma cleaners.
Get in touch
Supporting the Critical Info community
We work with industry experts to provide a sound knowledge base for our users. We’d love to hear from you.
Investors
Want to invest in Critical Info? Get in touch with us.
Charities
Do you raise funds to help people pay for their loved one's funeral? Get in touch with us.