Our History
The Quiet Mind Centre was originally founded in Exmouth, East Devon in 1984 by Bobby Neil, with the aim of supporting the work of local doctors through the use of complementary therapies.
Trained as a nurse, Bobby, at the age of 23, became one of the youngest ward sisters at The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, managing the largest ward of 40 beds.
By the early 1980's, Bobby had become increasingly aware that there was little or no support for patients diagnosed with cancer. In 1984, Bobby set up the CanCope charity to give advice and offer support to people with cancer, persuading local therapists to spare at least half a day of their time to helping those on low incomes.
By 1991, the charity, now known as The Quiet Mind Centre, extended its scope to treat all conditions which could benefit from the therapies. At that time, The Centre was based in a building which had no disabled access. Reaching full capacity in the Autumn of 2003, the Centre moved to new premises at 14 Hartley Road which were more suitable for the needs of all clients and had disabled access.
Bobby Neal passed away in 2016, following illness from cancer. She dedicated her whole life to caring for others and her legacy will be the community spirit and family feel which still exists at the Quiet Mind Centre. Bobby is survived by her husband, Stuart, a trustee and Centre Manger until 2023, her son Toby and daughter Kate who now works at The Centre’s Office.
So far, the organisation has provided over 125,000 hours of treatment to members of the local community.
