About us
The Brigitte Trust is an independent registered charity, offering a free service of emotional and practical support from trained volunteers. The service is for individuals living in the Surrey area and facing the challenges of terminal conditions such as cancer, motor neurone disease, and end-stage organ failure. You can find out more about us, including our impact and information on our team, below.
We work with a range of organisations and understand that supporting people at this stage of life involves many relationships. Volunteers can access extra help from social care, specialist partner charities, and community support groups within each area. Our volunteers are the one constant in a changing situation.
Our mission
We believe that everyone has the right to live well beyond diagnosis and make the most of their time, no matter the outcome. More people are living longer with their diagnosis- our aim is to ensure that the people living with these conditions, as well as their families and carers, can make the most of the time they have.
We aim to support as many people throughout Surrey as possible, to improve quality of life with a terminal illness.
Our history
The Brigitte Trust was established in 1984 by Dorking resident Brigitte Watkin, together with a group of committed social care professionals, with a simple mission– to support people at the end of their life in their own homes, offering social and emotional support. Over the years, we have been privileged to help nearly 5,000 people across Surrey to live as well as possible at home or in a caring environment, whatever the outcome of their condition. We received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2015.
Read more about our history and view our timeline through the button below.
Our core values
Personal and Compassionate
We understand that every person is different, every encounter important, every journey with a terminal condition a personal one. We tailor our service to the needs of the individual and their families, working with them face-to-face.
Open and Diverse
Our volunteers approach the needs of the people we help with an open mind. We enter the home of the client with respect for the nature of the illness, the timescale, their culture and traditions, and the needs of their family and friends. We treat everyone with fairness and respect.
Collaborative
Supporting people with terminal conditions takes a community. We collaborate with everyone we work with, from health and social care professionals to volunteers, supporters and the people who use our services. We signpost other services to our clients when appropriate.
Practical and Professional
Our expertise help our clients live as well as possible in their own home for as long as it’s practical and desirable. We continue to support them when they need to move into other care environments, such as hospice care. We aim to be as professional and ethical as we can, and to ensure the highest standards in all we do.
Our team
Our small but mighty team is made up of Charity President Michael More-Molyneux, three patrons, eight trustees, and six key members of staff. You can find out more about each member through the relevant pages.
