A fund established in the memory of a World War Two heroine has chosen Royal Trinity Hospice to be the beneficiary of a sizeable donation to support the work of a Trinity Community Dementia Nurse.

Author Francelle Bradford White BEM and her fellow trustees selected Trinity to receive a grant of £54,000 part-funding the costs of a specialist nurse for a two-year period, helping care for people living with dementia either in their own homes or during short stays to the hospice.

Trinity typically cares for around 200 people a year diagnosed with dementia. The specialist dementia nurses play a key role in supporting them with planning their care for the future, supporting any decline in mobility or speech abilities and supporting their family members. 

The funds have been donated by the Andrée Griotteray White Charitable Trust, which was set up by Francelle in memory of her mother, Andrée Griotteray White, a woman whose life was far from ordinary.

When WW2 was declared Andrée was a 19-year-old teenager working at Police Headquarters in Paris where she printed and distributed copies of an underground newspaper enticing Parisians to resist the occupation. As the war progressed, she became an intelligence courier travelling throughout France on behalf of the French, British and American intelligence services. Danger was always around the corner.

After the war, Andree was awarded four medals: the Médaille de la Résistance, the Croix de Guerre with silver star, the L’Ordre National du mérite (Le ruban bleu) and the Légion d’honneur (1995). 

Francelle established the Trust based on her commitment to raising money for Alzheimer’s and dementia research and support. Having seen her mother live with the disease for almost 20 years, she wanted to make sure money went directly to people living with dementia.

The author has raised funds for the Trust from the sale of her book "Andrée's War”. Invited to be a guest speaker at over 50 literary events Francelle has spoken at NATO, the Chalke Valley History Festival, the Isle of Wight Literary Festival, the Royal Air Force Club, the Special Forces Club and the Yale and Harvard Clubs in New York and Boston (to name a few). As the Grantee of a Royal Warrant, Francelle has spoken to the Windsor Royal Warrant Holders Association.

Francelle explained why she has chosen to support our Community Dementia Nurses with funding:

“When my mother was diagnosed with dementia over 25 years ago there was little support out there. The diagnosis had a huge impact on me, and it was the lack of help and advice in her home environment that made me feel so helpless in what I could do to support her.

Having been introduced to Royal Trinity Hospice it was the end-of-life dementia care and support offered in the community to individuals and their families that made me choose to support them.

The huge compassion they show their patients and their families makes me feel so very confident that they will use my donation to give them the right support.”

Director of Fundraising at Royal Trinity Hospice Anthony Davison is extremely grateful for the generous donation and Francelle’s support. He said:

“I have read Andrée’s War and it’s an enthralling story. From a 19-year-old teenager working at Police Headquarters in Paris to an intelligence courier working for the British, French and American intelligence services, she was clearly a remarkable woman who led a remarkable life. It is a fitting tribute that her daughter has established the Trust in her name and that this legacy of her wartime story is helping fund dementia care for people from across seven London boroughs.

As a charity Trinity relies on the generosity of supporters like Francelle with her incredibly personal reason for helping Trinity’s Community Dementia Nurses deliver the very best care to people with dementia either at home or on our own inpatient ward.”

A special event has been organised in collaboration with Francelle and Royal Trinity Hospice on Wednesday 5 October 2022 at the Mayfair offices of investment management company Killik and Co. Francelle will be presenting a talk about ‘Andree’s War’. Supporters of Royal Trinity Hospice can enjoy an evening of French Resistance bravery and refreshments in support of the UK’s oldest hospice!

Signed copies of the book will be available to buy, in aid of the Andrée Griotteray White Charitable Trust enabling it to further support those living with dementia.

Information about the book and Francelle’s upcoming literary appearances can be found on: www.andréeswar.com

Thanks to Killik & Co for their support as loyal Trinity Corporate partners and helping us host October’s event.

Banner image shows: Director of Fundraising Anthony Davison with Francelle Bradford White BEM copyright Royal Trinity Hospice