New Amsterdam PPP/C councillor and community health advocate Carol Trim-Bagot died this morning, a day after attending a statutory meeting of the town council and two days after hosting a breast cancer awareness concert.
Her death prompted tributes from Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo, Finance Minister Ashni Singh, Region Six MP Zamal Hussain and the New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council.
In its announcement, the council identified her by her full name, Carol Agatha Bagot-Trim, and said she attended yesterday’s statutory meeting, where she made constructive contributions welcomed by those present.
The council said she was sworn in as a municipal councillor on August 14, 2023, and attended her first statutory meeting on August 28 that year.
“Her contributions to the Council, staff, and residents will be greatly missed,” it stated, extending condolences to her children, relatives, colleagues, staff and friends.
Singh described her passing as sudden and recalled joining her and the Organisation for Social and Health Advancement in Guyana (OSHAG) team in Berbice just two days earlier for their Breast Cancer Awareness concert.
Trim-Bagot was the organisation’s founder and president.
Singh said he had used the occasion to acknowledge not only the concert but her continuing work in communities, including educating residents, training and helping families improve their circumstances.
“Carol was a true beacon of grassroots advocacy and a compassionate community activist,” he wrote.
According to Singh, OSHAG’s activities included mobile community health clinics, wellness checks in underserved communities, monthly community kitchens, youth mentorship workshops and educational spaces for children.
“Whether serving the people of New Amsterdam in her capacity as Town Councillor or spearheading community-driven health initiatives across the region, Carol exemplified what it means to lead from the heart,” he said.
Jagdeo described Trim-Bagot as a dedicated PPP/C activist and extended condolences on behalf of the party to her family, friends and colleagues.
Hussain said she was also one of the leaders of the party’s New Amsterdam cluster, a hardworking entrepreneur and an advocate willing to help vulnerable people.
“I will always remember Carol for her dedication, her willingness to stand up for what she believed in and her commitment to serving others,” he stated.
Trim-Bagot had previously supported APNU before backing the PPP/C at the 2023 local government elections.
In a July 16, 2023 interview with Stabroek News, she said she had worked with APNU at certain levels but switched her support because she believed the PPP/C government had a strategic plan for the country’s development.
She also expressed dissatisfaction with conditions in New Amsterdam, particularly garbage collection, saying she had travelled back and forth to Guyana without seeing major improvements in the town.
As a PPP/C councillor, she called for the council’s financial plans to be made available and for residents to receive a five-year strategic plan. Her priorities included improved waste management and more recreational spaces for young people, including transforming the esplanade into a promenade.
A relative who signed his tribute “Bryan” recalled their close family relationship in Guyana and the United States, which continued after she returned to New Amsterdam.
He also paid tribute to her municipal service, saying her participation in the affairs of her hometown reflected her commitment to its residents.
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