Page 10 - Thrapston Life May 2025

Her mother Beatrice trained as a teacher which
perhaps influenced her daughter to follow. In
the summer of 1940, aged 17, Miss Souster
sailed to New Zealand and spent some time
living there with her aunt and uncle. It is
thought that she was unwell in some way, but
may also have been staying safe during the war.
Miss Souster became a magistrate in 1971 and
in 1998 was awarded an MBE at Buckingham
Palace for services to the community,
particularly through The Guild.
Late in her life, Miss Souster
inherited a substantial amount
of money from her father Arthur
(pictured right), who had for many
years worked for Weetabix and earned
a great many company shares. She was
determined that it would do good long
after she was gone, so with advice she
formed The Arthur Souster Charitable
Trust, which still exists today.
The Trust began by gifting educational grants
to young people from Islip and close by, as
well as enabling a number of improvements
and repairs to St Nicholas Church amongst a
number of other projects close to her heart.
Miss Souster left the trustees with a letter of
wishes which lists a range of benefactors, but
her main wish was for ‘the fund to be used for
the benefit of young persons deserving of need
within the ambit of the Christian Church…who
live within a 25 mile radius of Islip.’
This letter of wishes is still at the core of how
the trustees manage the fund today. In 2015,
and with the desire to create a lasting legacy to
fulfil Miss Souster’s wishes, The Souster Youth
Trust was created in her name. At the current
time, it is the sole beneficiary of The Arthur
Souster Trust.
Miss Souster never married or had
a family of her own, she left her entire
estate to the Trust she created. Despite
living a very simple life, she greatly
enriched the lives of many others
during her lifetime. Now, many years
later her legacy continues to support,
empower and enrich the lives of local
young people. The Trust honours her
memory and continues to enable the
work she was so passionate about.
With careful management, it will continue to
run for many years hence.
Compiled by Charlotte Croser in March 2025,
clerk to the Arthur Souster Charitable Trust
using accounts from trustees and friends of
Barbara, as well as documents belonging to her.
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