Now she's continuing the legacy.

This Remembrance Day, your compassion can change lives. 

Each year on November 11, Australians pause to remember those who served our nation, and the families who live with their legacy.At Melbourne Legacy, we believe remembrance is more than reflection. It’s action. It’s ensuring that the families of veterans, the partners, children, and loved ones left behind, have the care and support they need to heal, grow, and belong.

Your donation this Remembrance Day helps us keep our century-long promise: to look after the families of those who served.

No one could understand the importance of keeping that promise more than Lesley.

For more than seventy years, Legatee Lesley Scott has embodied the spirit of Melbourne Legacy. 

When Lesley was just 12, her father - a WWII veteran - passed away from illness contracted during his service. Her mother also fell ill, leaving Lesley and her sisters separated from home for two years. When her family reunited, they were given a Legatee who quietly supported them through education and care.

“Legacy made me feel special,” Lesley recalls. “They were there to make sure we were okay.”

Legacy’s support enabled Lesley to move from rural Victoria and attend university in Melbourne at just 17 years of age, finish her studies, and build a life of her own. Decades later, she returned to Legacy as a Legatee herself, mentoring widows and leading the "Walking for Pleasure" group that brings widows together to this day to fight isolation and promote healthy movement.

Now 88, Lesley continues to embody what Legacy stands for: compassion, community, and care that spans generations.

Honouring the past, supporting the future. 

Lesley’s story is a powerful reminder that remembrance isn’t only about those who served, but also the families who continue to carry their memory.

Today, the needs of veteran families are changing. 

Younger partners and children often require professional, educational, and long-term wellbeing support. Legacy’s role in providing that assistance remains just as important as it was in Lesley’s time.

Your gift this Remembrance Day helps Melbourne Legacy continue to:

• Provide professional case management support for families rebuilding after the loss of a loved one's life or health through service.
• Offer financial, educational and wellbeing assistance to war widows, partners and children of veterans.
• Reduce social isolation through events and peer networks.

Together, we can ensure that families of veterans are never forgotten and that remembrance continues as a living legacy.