Founders
The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust

The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust (KBRT) is a charity in Ireland that helps bereaved families cover the costs of repatriating the remains of loved ones, who have died abroad in sudden or tragic circumstances, back to the island of Ireland. 

The KBRT was founded in 2013 after the death of Kevin Bell, a young man from Newry, Co. Down, who died suddenly in a hit‑and‑run in New York. The community in his hometown of Newry held a fundraiser to help his parents, Colin and Eithne Bell, at their darkest hour, to bring his remains home from the US. Inspired by the extraordinary kindness shown to their family, Colin and Eithne resolved to create a lasting legacy in Kevin’s memory by establishing a charity to help other families in similar difficult situations.

Today, the KBRT works to alleviate the financial hardship of families who need to repatriate remains, offering financial assistance for repatriation costs; advice and guidance on the process; and support for sudden or tragic deaths. It operates on a 32‑county basis across the island of Ireland and helps families regardless of background or circumstance. Since its founding, The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust has repatriated the remains of over 2,500 people back to their families in Ireland.