Meet our Trustees: Bridget Edminson

Thursday 23 April 2026

Bridget brings to The Scar Free Foundation a wealth of experience shaped by intellectual curiosity, public service, and a genuine commitment to making a difference.

We caught up with Bridget to discuss her career, why Scar Free’s work matters now more than ever – and her fondness for bodyboarding in the freezing Atlantic. 

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Now Chief Legal Officer and Deputy University Secretary at Imperial College London, Bridget joins The Scar Free Foundation Board of Trustees at a time when the charity’s ambition is both bold and increasingly urgent.

Drawn in by a mission that aligned with her interests, and an opportunity to contribute to work with real-world impact, it’s clear that Bridget’s role as Trustee will be shaped by much more than an interest in the legal and regulatory requirements of running a charity. 

Bridget’s journey spans the UK, from her roots in Northumberland to roles at some of the country’s most influential institutions. After moving to London for university, she studied Government (Politics) at the London School of Economics, specialising in medieval political thought, a focus that led to a Masters’ degree in Medieval History at King’s College London.

Her early career included time at the Palace of Westminster, working as part of a curatorial team, before she made the decision to retrain as a barrister. 

The Scar Free Foundation team are thrilled to welcome Bridget Edminson as a new Trustee

“I completed the law conversion and Bar Vocational Courses and did a common law pupillage, working mainly in criminal defence” she explains, adding “to slightly amend the saying: ‘crime does not pay [the baby barrister]’ ”, leading to her decision to join the Government Legal Service in 2000. 

Her first role, at HM Customs & Excise, provided what she describes as “a very good grounding in becoming comfortable working in an area of developing law and learning to apply legal principles to achieve pragmatic results”.

From there, Bridget moved to Ofgem, a role that included nine months living in Glasgow. “I had not been to Glasgow before moving there,” she reflects, “but I thoroughly recommend it for a visit: it has fantastic restaurants, night life, museums and galleries, architecture, a wonderful botanic garden, and you can walk pretty much anywhere”. 

It was her move to the Ministry of Defence in 2004, however, that proved most formative. “I pretty much found a spiritual home,” she says. Over 14 years, she worked across a wide range of legal and leadership roles. “The MoD is society in microcosm, so it is a fantastic learning ground for lawyers,” she explains, adding that she still misses working with the armed forces, “which possibly says something about my sense of humour; but moving on…”.  

In 2018, Bridget became the first General Counsel at the University of Sussex, where her role rapidly expanded. “That job quickly morphed into a broader governance, compliance, information management, risk and resilience and legal portfolio, including becoming the ‘Covid lead’ for the University”.

She joined Imperial College London in 2022, where she is not only the University’s principal legal adviser, but also leads a Division spanning governance, risk and resilience, internal audit, research integrity, and institutional and regulatory compliance. 

Her path to The Scar Free Foundation emerged from a desire to give back, particularly in ways connected to her experience with the armed forces. “I had been approached about a couple of trustee roles, and that made me think that the sort of charity I would be interested in would somehow support military Veterans”, she explains.

After reaching out to a former colleague, she was introduced to the Foundation. “So, I did some research…thought that its aims and objectives aligned with my interests, so I was delighted to be asked to join the Board”.  

Bridget can see clear links between her professional background and her role as a Trustee. “My very broad legal career and knowledge of governance, risk and compliance matters means that I can add value” she says.

She also notes the synergy with her current role at Imperial, “a world-leading research institution with specialist centres such as the Centre for Blast Injury Studies” and highlights ongoing research supported by the Foundation, including work exploring the use of Bioglass to treat blast injuries (a Scar Free Foundation-Defence Medical Services PhD Fellowship being undertaken by Major Harry Claireaux, a Trauma and Orthopaedic Registrar in the Royal Army Medical Service).

For Bridget, the importance of the Foundation’s work is both universal and particularly relevant today. “So many of us carry scars to a greater or lesser degree”, she says, “so I think the work… is important at all times”.

But she also points to the global context: “we live in fragile times at present with many conflicts around the world…I do believe that if, as a country, we deploy people into conflict we should do all that we can to minimise the effects of that conflict on them”. 

In that effort, she believes, “Scar Free has a vital role to play”.“I’m impressed by the ambition to bring about scar free healing”, Bridget adds, “it’s a charity focused upon something that affects the majority of people in the world”. 

When it comes to the hallmarks of an effective Trustee, Bridget is clear on the matter: “someone who provides appropriate oversight, sets strategic direction, identifies risks and seeks assurance… supports the Executive but is not afraid to present constructive challenge”. Above all, Bridget adds, it is about “making reasoned, evidence-led decisions…with integrity, candour and without self-interest”.  

“The Foundation has set itself a very challenging objective, but it presents immense opportunities”. Among those opportunities, she finds the science particularly exciting: “I find it fascinating to think we could help to find the genetic switch that makes the human body prioritise healing quickly over healing perfectly and use that to eliminate scarring”, adding that she found it fascinating to learn that babies who are operated on in the womb heal without scarring.  

Looking ahead, Bridget is keen to contribute to the charity’s growth and visibility. “I really hope to add significant value to the charity and help it grow,” she says, describing it as currently something of a “best kept secret”.

With greater awareness and support, she believes, its impact could expand significantly. Like many organisations in the sector, she acknowledges the challenges: “there are so many demands on charitable donations… [it’s] a somewhat crowded ‘marketplace’ ” making it vital to “capture the public’s attention” and offer a compelling reason to give. 

Her call to action is straightforward: “Get involved in fundraising! It doesn’t have to be a big event, but tell your friends about it, spread the word and help us raise awareness. Whilst we are a comparatively small charity we have very big ambitions – we’d love our supporters to be part of achieving those”.  

Bridget admits she is “always on the go, and admittedly not very good at unwinding or relaxing,” but she finds balance in the Cotswolds, and looks forward to “getting off the train from London and breathing the fresh, clean country air.”

A firm believer in trying new things – “last year I did a dry stone walling course, which was brilliant” – she also enjoys spending time in Polzeath, Cornwall, where her daughter surfs while she bodyboards: “I can often be seen trying to struggle out of a cold wetsuit without losing my balance or dignity!” 

“I was delighted to be asked to join the Board” – Bridget Edminson, Trustee of The Scar Free Foundation

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We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Bridget at such a pivotal moment on our journey. Her extensive experience and determination will strengthen our strategic direction, and support our ambitious goal: to reduce the impact of scarring today, while working towards a future free from scars.

As Bridget says, the need for this work has never been greater. In the UK alone, millions are affected by life-changing scars. Please get involved, spread the word, or donate today, to help us end life-limiting scars.

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Read more about our new Trustees here and stay tuned for more profiles!