Remembering Trisha Silvester MBE
It is with great sadness that Sreepur Village shares the news that Trisha Silvester MBE, inspiration and co-founder of Sreepur Village as well as its first Chair of Trustees, passed away last week.
Trisha's remarkable story began in 1977, when she first travelled to an orphanage in Dhaka, Bangladesh with Sandra Simpson, the founder of Families for Children. The experience changed the course of her life, and her deep connection with Bangladesh began later adopting her two daughters from Sandra's organisation, Sukuri and Hasina, adding to her own two sons, Matthew and Daniel, completing her family she was so proud of.
In 1981 Trisha met Pat Kerr, after Pat had encouraged her fellow British Airways crew in volunteering at the orphanage. The two women formed an extraordinary partnership over many years, working tirelessly in raising funds and building what would become Sreepur Village where mothers in crisis could remain with their children and rebuild their lives.
From that point on, Trisha devoted herself completely to raising awareness and support in the UK and travelling frequently to Bangladesh. Her outstanding contribution was formally recognised when she was awarded an MBE for services to disadvantaged women and children in Bangladesh, presented by Princess Anne at the British High Commission in Dhaka.
As Chair of Trustees, Trisha guided and supported the board for many years, bringing wisdom, dedication and quiet determination to everything she did. She stepped down from the role in 2020 but never truly stepped away, continuing to support the UK staff whenever she could.
Her contribution to Sreepur Village is immeasurable, and her legacy lives on in every mother and child whose life has been changed by the work she helped bring into being.
Sreepur Village held a truly special place in her heart and became a huge part of her life. She was always deeply grateful for the generosity shown by supporters who so willingly gave when asked, and took enormous pride in how this helped build something so meaningful - not only to her, but to everyone whose lives the charity touched.
If you have memories or photos of Trisha that you would like to share, we would love to hear from you - it would mean a great deal to gather those together.
Our thoughts are with her family and all those who knew and loved her. She will be greatly missed.