In Loving Memory of Keith Gilbey

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Keith Gilbey, who died peacefully on Saturday, 2nd May, after a few months of courageously living with cancer.

Keith had been a beloved part of The Brightwell family since the beginning of 2013, more than a decade of quiet, dedicated service that touched the lives of so many. He was a volunteer driver, a steadfast supporter, and, perhaps most importantly, a dear friend.

Keith, who lived in Weston Super Mare, began his journey with us by driving members from North Somerset to the new Centre, many of whom had come to us from our previous site in Nailsea. For those passengers, he was often their first and last friendly face of the day, and nothing was ever too much trouble for Keith. He was warm, chatty, and always had a tale to tell!

Many of you will instantly picture him at his favourite spot, the first table by the shop in the lounge, where he would settle in happily for hours, greeting members old and new as he waited for them to finish their therapies. When he wasn’t driving, you would find him deep in his newspaper, working through his daily crossword with Gus and other members to help. He was also a familiar and enthusiastic presence at Centre events, and a formidable regular at our Quiz evenings!

Keith became unwell before Christmas, and when living alone grew difficult, he was lovingly taken in by his close friends, the Norley family,  themselves valued members of our Brightwell community, before moving into residential care at Beaufort Grange. He spent his final weeks there contentedly and was regularly visited by his Brightwell friends right up until the end.

Keith will have a private cremation.

A Special Tribute During Volunteers' Week

Our volunteers are at the very heart of this community, and Keith embodied everything a great volunteer should be; kind, friendly, reliable, and utterly committed.

It feels only right, then, to celebrate his life during Volunteers' Week (1–7 June). As part of our tributes to all our wonderful volunteers, we will be honouring Keith as one of our Star Volunteers, and we warmly invite his Centre friends to join us for tea and cake on Thursday, 4^th  June at 2 pm. All members are welcome.

Thank you, Keith, for everything.

Rest in peace.