Kevin Bell Trust Achieves 2000th Repatriation

A charitable organization dedicated to assisting in the return of bodies of individuals who have died abroad to Ireland has now facilitated its 2000th repatriation. The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust (KBRT) was founded by the Bell family from Newry, County Down, following a personal tragedy. Colin Bell’s 26-year-old son, Kevin, was killed in a suspected hit-and-run incident in New York in June 2013. Mr Bell described reaching this milestone as a bittersweet moment. “I wouldn’t say it’s a happy day, it’s just the fact we want to mark the fact and really it shows the generosity of the community in Ireland and I think that has to be recognised,” Mr Bell told BBC News NI. The charity, which relies entirely on donations and fundraising for its operations, was established to alleviate the financial strain on bereaved families repatriating loved ones who have passed away abroad under sudden or tragic circumstances. The cost to repatriate bodies can amount to several thousand pounds, and until the trust was established, families were responsible for these expenses themselves, as neither the UK nor Irish governments cover such costs. “When Kevin died Newry came round us like a blanket, it was unreal,” Colin Bell informed the GAA Social podcast in May. Through a variety of fundraisers, the community in Newry helped raise in the region of £150,000 to bring Kevin back home. Mr Bell established the charity because he wished to give back after experiencing the kindness of the local community, which rallied around his family following Kevin’s death. “It shows the goodness of people. We run it in name but it is a charity that we just facilitate, the families in Ireland helping other families,” Mr Bell stated. He further commented, “I can’t exaggerate the fact that it’s based on communities north and south, it’s an Irish thing that people will come to help each other in the worst, terrible times.” The charity primarily assists families who have lost loved ones in tragic circumstances. “Unfortunately accidents happen and people can be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Mr Bell said. He added, “No one knows what can happen really.” Mr Bell explained that the charity’s main objective “is taking the stress off families at a time when they really don’t know what to do”. “If somebody contacts us, we can say to a family, ‘look, you don’t have to do anything, we’ll take care of it all’, at a time when they don’t really know who to contact or how to go about it.” Having been operational for 11 years, Mr Bell noted that the trust now possesses contacts across the globe and frequently “know straight away who to go to”. Commemorating its 2000th repatriation, the charity announced it has helped return the bodies of more than 130 people since July of this year. “We thought our amazing supporters should know how wonderful community is in Ireland and the diaspora,” the trust communicated on social media on Sunday. Reflecting on the passing of his son and the charity’s work to assist others, Mr Bell remarked: “Part of the reason we set up the charity was to keep Kevin’s memory alive, Kevin’s name is mentioned in lots of countries across the world now.” He concluded, “It’s a tribute to Kevin really.”