Dorset charity borne from woman's grief helps thousands
About 650,000 people a year experience bereavement, but despite the profound effect it has on people's lives, it remains something that is rarely discussed.Linda Magistris from Poole said she felt "lost and alone" following the death of her partner, TV director Graham Theakston, in 2014.Those struggles led her to launch the Good Grief Trust which has helped thousands of people find support.Her mission to help others has seen her presented with a Prime Minister's Point of Light award and, most recently, she was appointed OBE for her services to the bereaved.
The former child actor first met Mr Theakston on the set of BBC children's drama Grange Hill in the late 1970s but it was not until three decades later that a chance encounter sparked a romantic relationship.But after eight years together, Mr Theakston died, having been diagnosed with a rare soft-tissue carcinoma.
Ms Magistris said: "I was on my knees after losing Graham."I was living in London at the time and I realised then that we needed to bring an umbrella organisation together for the UK, to help the bereaved as well as professionals, because they really struggled to help me to find support."Ms Magistris said she learned about her OBE by email instead of the customary letter."My letter went to an old address in London and they had been trying to find me for three weeks," she said."About a month ago I got an email, which I couldn't believe at all - I had to telephone them to check."Although she is named in the King's Birthday Honours list, Ms Magistris says the accolade is recognition of the charity's team and volunteers."You cannot to this by yourself and it's a team effort," she said."Let's hope this honour will drive that work forward."
You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Killer sudoku 975
Click here to access the print version. Normal sudoku rules apply, except the numbers in the cells contained within dotted lines add up to the figures in the corner. No number can be repeated within each shape formed by dotted lines. To see the completed puzzle, buy the next issue of the Guardian (for puzzles published Monday to Thursday). Solutions to Friday and Saturday puzzles are given in either Saturday's or Monday's edition.
Times
41 minutes ago
- Times
Military precision — the best luxury field watches
Field watches may signify rugged sophistication today, but their first wearers had rather more pressing concerns. Developed for use in the First World War, field watches helped troops and gun batteries synchronise their operations, lessening the risk of friendly fire during attacks. And it was far quicker for a soldier to check his wrist than to dig out a pocket watch — the timepiece of choice for men at that time. Although form is as important as functionality in modern field watches, the essential properties remain the same — they are durable, easy to read and easy to use. This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Referencing early-20th-century military pocket watches, the Terra Nova is a homage to vintage design. There's the tonneau case, which was first seen in 1906; the numerals, which have a retro look about them and, in a nod to today's improved technology, are actually Super-LumiNova blocks; and the railroad track around the outer edge of the dial that recalls field watches past. £2,850; This is a minimalist take on the field watch brief. There isn't even a date on it. It's classic Tudor in that respect — extraneous detail isn't the brand's style. The only concession to colour is the strap, and this woven version is a brand signature made by a traditional passementerie company that still practises the art of jacquard weaving. Sturdy as well as smart. £2,670; The Paris-based maker Serica has become synonymous with robust timepieces that also cut a dash sartorially. The Field Chronometer has all the details associated with field watches — luminescent hands and hour and minute markers, legibility, white indices — but adds panache by opting for California numbering (half Roman, half Arabic) in a case that will slip under a cuff. £848; Vertex was the only British brand among the 'Dirty Dozen' — the 12 companies tasked in 1943 to make watches for military use according to defence ministry specifications. It is from those details, including a black dial, white Arabic lume-filled numerals and luminescent hour and minute markers, railroad-style minutes and a small seconds, that our idea of how a field watch should look was formed. This model is a worthy successor. £2,500; Purists might question the inclusion of this watch but let's think of it as 'fashion field'. It still has easy-to-read luminescent numerals, a railtrack minute indication and there's the addition of a GMT function. It's named after the 19th-century British explorer Richard Lander and the Nigerian city he visited — although it's debatable whether he would have considered wearing this pink dial in the field. £1,265; This watch is named after the driest non-polar desert in the world, which is a stand-in for Mars in expedition simulations, and has been designed to withstand its conditions. It has an illumination system that guarantees 24/7 readability for up to 25 years, a stainless-steel case and water resistance to 200m. Though why you'd need that last attribute in the desert is anyone's guess. £1,339; The Seiko 5 line, launched in 1963, has become a byword for reliable automatics at affordable prices. It's not all function, however: this trench watch-inspired timepiece does have some flair. The contrast of the blue dial with the golden numerals makes a change from monochrome and the texture on the calfskin strap adds a little luxury, while the cursive on 'Automatic' contributes to the vintage vibe. £280; Hamilton gets extra kudos for having been worn by the US military after it supplied railroad watches to soldiers during the First World War. This latest update to its well-loved Khaki Field Auto features contrast dial finishing, a 24-hour track and anti-reflective coating on the sapphire crystal. It does come with a bracelet, but this luscious brown leather strap feels more on theme. £640;
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Wales' papers: Assisted dying law passes and pensioner killed by new driver
Copyright 2025 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
