ONE of the founders of the Blackdown Support Group (BSG), Susan Doggett, who died on August 26 aged 92, was a resident of the Wellington area for 50 years and a huge contributor to local life.

She founded the group, along with Heather Stallard and Dr Jonathan Meads, in 1991. The idea was to create a support network that would be a source of help to the scattered households and communities of the Blackdown Hills — covering transport, healthcare, social events, counselling and much else.

Mrs Doggett, who lived at Garlandhayes, was later honoured with an MBE, the BSG’s work proving vital at times of need and in maintaining people’s quality of life.

She was involved in associated projects including a writers’ group and a monthly BSG lunch club, which celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year.

“We are told daily how grateful people are for our help and that they cannot imagine managing without us,” BSG co-ordinator Elizabeth McNabb said. “This is Susan’s legacy.”

Recognising the isolation that some local people might experience, Mrs Doggett co-authored with Marian Bull a book that offered guidance in how to deal with such challenges. The Starfish Book found many a grateful reader all over the Blackdowns and beyond.

“She was a wonderful lady,” Mrs Bull said. “She had such an understanding of other people.”

Mrs Doggett, who had been widowed for many years, was born into a Somerset family in 1927, one of five children. She attended the Royal Academy of Music just after the war and trained to be a teacher, spending most of her career as a county drama adviser.

She worked in Sussex, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Somerset and Kent, but never lost touch with her roots. She bought her house in 1969, retiring to it full-time in the 1980s. She died at home, having always lived independently.

A celebration of her life will take place at the Rosemary Lane chapel in Cullompton on Monday, September 16, at 2.30pm.