Linda Tremble was the daughter of ICB Member Anne Tremble, MICB PM.Dip. Linda was diagnosed as anorexic in 1994, at just 15 years of age. She fought the condition for 17 years, during which time she also received diagnoses for autism, osteoporosis, epilepsy and depression. In 2011, tragically, Linda lost her battle.
Since her passing, Linda’s family have set out to honour her legacy by supporting others with her condition. Established in 2014, The Linda Tremble Foundation is in its infancy as a charity – but has a lot of ambition. ICB spoke with Anne:
“This charity was set up with my husband, Colin, and my daughter Carol and it means a lot to us. Unfortunately we could not get Linda the help and support she needed in time to save her but I hope that the charity can provide that kind of life saving support to others.
Linda had a number of health issues, most notably her eating disorder, and these caused her to lead a very lonely life. She was an incredibly caring person and was lucky enough to be able to both find and give support to other sufferers of eating disorders through involvement in online communities. We firmly believe that if she had been able to find this level of support at an earlier stage then her story’s outcome may very well have been different. It was very important to her to have been able to help others and The Linda Tremble Foundation is our way of carrying on her legacy.
We also feel that having support at a local level where she would have had the opportunity to get out and meet people face to face would have improved her quality of life. It would have been much easier for us to have people to talk to about eating disorders so that we could release the tension and also hopefully find ways to more effectively support Linda.”
The Foundation’s aim is to make a difference to the lives of those individuals and families affected by eating disorders, providing self-help support groups to both carers and sufferers. Operating in Fife, they have already established several groups, and are now looking to run training sessions on “Understanding Eating Disorders” for GPs and other NHS primary care staff. Developed in collaboration with health officials, the half-day of training is designed to provide information on care pathways for eating disorders in the local area.
Anne Tremble with two girls who ran the Edinburgh Marathon for the foundation last year.
Anorexia is still a terribly misunderstood condition in the UK.
“Although eating disorders tend to be more common in certain age groups, it is not uncommon for eating disorders to affect people of any age. Around 1 in 250 women and 1 in 2,000 men will experience anorexia nervosa at some point. The condition usually develops around the age of 16 or 17.”
Although the charity is young and small, The Linda Tremble Foundation do excellent work and have big plans for the future. Linda’s heart-breaking story and the lessons her family learnt from it, clearly motivate everything the organisation does.
Currently they’re looking to find more trained facilitators in their local area and would love any help ICB’s members can give in fundraising towards this goal. ICB has no hesitation in recommending this wonderful charity to its members. If you would like to learn more about the work they do or get involved with it, click here.
If you have another charity that’s close to your heart, please let us know here,or email memberservices@bookkeepers.org.uk and you could see them promoted in this space in the coming months!
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