Dame Barbara Monroe, DBE, FRSA, was a social worker for over forty years. She joined St Christopher’s in 1987 and was Chief Executive there between 2000 and 2014. She was a Commissioner on the 2022 UK Commission on Bereavement.

Barbara founded the open access Candle children’s bereavement service and served as chair of the national Childhood Bereavement Network for eight years. She was an Honorary Professor at Lancaster University and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Auckland University. In 2017 she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by Lancaster University and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association for Death Education and Counselling. Barbara has led and lectured on numerous training programmes, nationally and internationally. She has written extensively about psychological and social aspects of palliative care.

Barbara is Trustee and Senior Independent Director of Marie Curie, Chair of Compassion in Dying and Chair of the Public Services Honours Committee.