At only 50 years of age, John Kelly died tragically in an abseiling accident over the holiday period.
John's life and influence went way beyond being defined by his profession. He was devoted to his family - his wife Cath and their three children. He loved the outdoors. All he did was combined with a passion for those less fortunate.
He had a wonderfully outgoing and enthusiastic personality. These qualities came to the fore in the work he did in the community. John loved mentoring young people. He volunteered for many years with Pathways Foundation - a national harm prevention charity that assists young people make the fundamental emotional shift from being a child to becoming a young adult. More recently he had been volunteering with ACF community partner Activate Australia - an organisation that develops the leadership potential of young people who have experienced significant personal and social challenges.
John also was assisting ACF in its promotional activities. He had a wide network of senior contacts in the business community and in recent times was enthusiastically introducing them to ACF and encouraging them to promote workplace giving in their organisations. John had a great heart and he will be sadly missed.
The Australian Charities Fund and United Way have made a joint submission in response to the Commonwealth Treasury's discussion paper, 'Charitable fundraising regulation reform'.
