Dr Betty Bennett formed part of the oncology team which visited East London regularly in the late 1980’s. The team worked closely with the radiology practice of Bloch & Navid, and as fairy tales go Dr Betty and Dr Ben Navid fell in love and were married.

Dr Ben Navid, who had helped so many cancer patients, sadly suffered the same fate and died after many happy and fruitful years in East London. His death birthed a dream in his wife, Dr Betty Bennett.

In 1991, Dr Betty Bennett set about realizing her dream of establishing a Hospice in East London. Betty started by inviting a few people to tea at Sally Fletcher’s house. After all these years, it is hard to remember who the original group was besides Sally Fletcher, Biddy Brathwaite, Patricia Stent, Louise Oats, Iris Hartley, and Joan Barrow.

The name “ST BERNARD’S” was chosen because the very first Hospices in the world were founded by Bernard of Menthon near Annecy in France (923 -1008) to help travelers lost in the Alps. The monks of the St Bernard Hospices bred the dogs, now known as St Bernard’s, because of their size and intelligence and trainability to rescue the people in distress. This embodied what hospices do, help people on their last journey through life and give them as much comfort and support as possible.

Very excitedly a house was acquired and meetings were moved there, held sitting on the floor as there was still no furniture. This house was 44 St Mark’s Road, our current address.

The ladies gradually built up their volunteer group and had a wonderfully dedicated and hardworking group of women who set their hand to any and every job required. They started in a small way with a day care group once a week when terminally ill patients came in for a morning to give their carers an opportunity to have some time off. Tea, fellowship and comfort was provided to anyone who needed it, a prayer meeting was held and lunch was provided for the patients and carers.

All the volunteers spread the word around town that there was a dire need of not only funds but furniture, crockery and anything that somebody was prepared to part with and so the empty building was furnished.

Dr Betty Bennett and Isobel Lindsay were the founding members of St Bernard’s Hospice.

All volunteers followed a training course over several days with lectures and talks of all the aspects of caring for patients. Some of the courses were given by Prof Nurses Maree Sobotta, Ruth Fismer, Anne Webster, Barbara Jardine, Tessa Bartels, Jen Penrose Marks and others. The coordinator was Professional Nurse Genevieve.

The volunteers thought of every possible way to raise funds and put their ideas into practice. Monthly meetings with the first chairlady Jenny Schnell (nee Cross) were held and whose husband, Paul Schnell, was the first volunteer doctor.

Sister Genevieve was our first nurse and a volunteer at St Bernard’s Hospice and the In-Patient unit was active.

In 2012, due to massive changes in the donor landscape, the In-Patient unit had to be closed due to lack of funding. Although a massive shock to the St Bernard’s Hospice team and loss for the East London community, the organisation was able to redirect its care, maintaining the same quality, into the homes of our patients.

Now, 26 years later, we still pride ourselves in providing quality Home Based Palliative Care and support to all in need.