Obituary

Wendy Farrant

Wendy Farrant, well known for her inspiring work in community development and health, died aged 49, on 15 March 1993 on Galiano, a small island off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. She had mesothelioma.

Wendy grew up in Portsmouth, where it is thought that she may have been exposed to asbestos from the naval shipyards, and this could have resulted in her cancer. The cruel irony about this cause of death was that it exemplifies one of Wendy’s strongest beliefs: that environmental and social factors are primarily responsible for ill-health and death in our society, rather than the lifestyle factors which dominate the focus of conventional health promotion.

Wendy’s early career was in clinical psychology. Then between 1969 and 1975 she and her first husband, Mick Farrant, lived and worked in east Africa, where they conducted research on maternal and child welfare, and Wendy completed her doctorate. Shortly after returning she moved to London, where she became active in the politics of health movement.

In the early 1980s she helped to establish and develop the Women’s Health Information Centre, now Women’s Health. Between 1981 and 1985 Wendy worked at the Institute of Education, and wrote, with Jill Russell, a booklet on the politics of health information, which provided a critical analysis of government-sponsored health education.

By the mid 1980s her main interest lay in exploring the potential for community development approaches to health promotion. She worked as a lecturer in health education at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London and became involved in the Health for All (HFA) movement. She argued that there is an antithesis between the fundamental principles of the HFA strategy - such as redressing inequality, community participation and intersectoral collaboration - and the top-down approach that has dominated health promotion policy development in the UK. In 1987 she was a speaker at the first European Healthy Cities conference in Düsseldorf.

In the late 1980s Wendy contributed to the work of the National Community Health Resource, and worked as a member of the Peckham Health Centre project team. In 1990 she was a major contributor to the Roots and Branches winter school and publication on community development and health.

By this time Wendy was splitting her life between Britain and Canada. She decided to leave a secure home and career to move to Canada, and to share her life with Roger Hart, who became her second husband. This was a courageous and risky decision which proved absolutely right for her. Wendy loved her littel house on the beautiful Galiano. She also shared a home with Roger in Victoria.

Gradually she did more and more consultancy work in Vancouver, but made sure she kept space to be happy by herself and with Roger, who was a great source of love and support. Sadly, in late 1992 Wendy discovered she was terminally ill. In the last few years of her life, Wendy found a contentment and tranquility which enabled her to face death peacefully.

Wendy was a very special person with many fine qualities. She was calm and quiet, but at the same time amazingly energetic and persevering. She had a sharp intellect but also an endearing dreaminess. And she had an ability to listen sympathetically and yet at the same time to make challenging and often provocative comments.

Wendy died as she lived - calmly and with great courage. She will be remembered as an exceptional person and a true and staunch friend.