Our History

Anna was born in Bangor, North Wales on Sunday, 7 May 1995. She received excellent care from the nursing staff at the Special Care Baby Unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd.

The early years of Anna’s life took her to Macclesfield, Cheshire, where she eased into her life’s journey at the local Montessori school, before entering the state education system. During these early years Anna enjoyed regular visits to her relatively close spiritual home and place of birth, the isle of Anglesey.

When she visited her wider family on Anglesey Anna was truly in her element, able freely to express her innately gregarious, spontaneous character. She was open a range of ideas, experiences and creative expressions. As early as 12 months she stood up on a stool and became the centre of everyone’s attention, full of animation and studied expression.

Over the following years, as Anna grew up she always grasped at the opportunity to visit her spiritual home and to spend time with her cousins and wider family. She was concerned for the welfare of others – a natural carer – and always did her utmost to ease their burdens.

Anna was so happy to explore this beautiful corner of Wales with her cousins, and she would take an active part in adventures whether it was to swim, sailing off the coast, or walking the beaches and coastline, or helping with the natural environment.Trying to navigate childhood and youth is naturally a difficult in the best of circumstances. Anna was a young woman who grew up ahead of her time and over time found herself relegating her needs to those of others. Naturally and in her heart and soul Anna was creative, spontaneous and gregarious but unfortunately this part of her innate personality was not able to flourish.

In 2014 Anna visited North Wales and it was clear her health had deteriorated. She had completed the first twelve months of studying medicine at Southampton University. Later that year she had to suspend her second year due to worsening health. Yet by early 2015 Anna was working as a hostess in a local hospital in Cornwall.

She died on the morning of 1 June 2015 in Truro, the ultimate cause being due to the ingestion of a high dose of a chemical found in her body.

The work of The Anna Phillips Foundation is a living memorial to her constant struggle, and the Foundation aims to help others who face trauma related mental health challenges.

The search for safety is a basic human need. Only when we have found it can a person be truly free.

May her memory be a blessing.

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