Our mission

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.