About the Brigitte Trust

In the space of eleven years Brigitte Watkin saw three friends die "terrible deaths" as she put it. They were in need of emotional support and practical help which was not available from outside sources at the time. One friend in hospital was not allowed by the hospital to have Brigitte beside her holding her hand in her final hours even though she specifically asked, as Brigitte "was not a relative".

It took me those eleven years" said Brigitte "to realise that I wanted to do something, and get up and do it"

Brigitte wanted to set up a volunteer group to support terminally ill people who wished if possible to remain at home as their lives ended, and, after consultation with social services and other charities working in the area the first public meeting was held at the end of 1981 with nearly 100 enthusiastic people - prepared not only to come to the meeting but also leave their names for follow-up. It was obvious there was a real need for the service Brigitte wished to offer.

It took time for the proposed service to become accepted amongst local GP's and District nurses but a Dorking GP was funded on a course at St. Christopher's Hospice and came back fired with enthusiasm and that was the beginning.

In Brigitte's words, the "providential support" of the late Roger Gaunt and his wife Elisabeth in setting up the original training scheme for volunteers has continued with strong backup from many other enthusiastic and committed professionals.

And the volunteers have come to train, and kept coming, and the area covered by the service has grown well beyond the outskirts of Dorking to help families and individuals in a wide area of East and Central Surrey. The Trust works in close partnership with local district nurses, hospices, social care teams and providers of palliative care services including our two district nurse representatives in the east and west of the area.