A new chair of trustees has been appointed at Willow Burn Hospice following the retirement of our long serving board member.
Paul Jackson has represented the board of trustees at Willow Burn for the past two decades and was bestowed with the honour of becoming our first honorary president after stepping down at its recent AGM.
Jane Robinson, who has worked in health and social care services across the North East for the last 35 years, replaces Paul as chair.
Paul, known affectionately as ‘Mr Willow Burn’, was key in persuading in persuading care home entrepreneur Helen McArdle to invest in Willow Burn Hospice in 2016 when it was in dire need of urgent refurbishment.
He said: “There have been some very difficult times over the past 20 plus years as funds were often never there and we were very close to closure, but I refused to let that happen and I contacted Helen McArdle and drew up a business plan.
“I’m proud that we were able to work together and design this 5-star purpose-built hospice which I genuinely think is the best around, and we are delivering the highest level of care and support to people who need to use the hospice during the most difficult stages of their lives.
“It’s an honour that the role of honorary president has been created to mark my service at the charity, and I will serve this role by continuing to promote Willow Burn Hospice at every opportunity.”
Willow Burn Hospice welcomed three new members to its board of trustees with Kathryn Bullen and Patrick Morton joining Jane.
With 35 years of experience in health and social care services, including the past 10 years working for Durham County Council, Jane has a wealth of experience in care in the North East.
She has also been the county council’s Corporate Director, Adult and Health Services for the past eight years and the chair of the North East Association of Directors for Adult Social Services for three years.
Jane has a personal reason for wishing to support Willow Burn Hospice too as her mother spent the last few weeks of her life there in 2022.
She said: “I am absolutely thrilled and delighted to be appointed chair of the board of trustees, an organisation which provided such amazing care to my mother in her last days. She couldn’t believe what a great facility it was and wanted me to do everything I could to support the hospice in the future which I'm delighted to do.
“I want to thank Paul for all his great work and all he has achieved for the hospice over the past two decades, and he leaves a great legacy for us all to follow.”
After six years of service, Richard Bennett, the chair of the hospice’s fundraising sub-committee, stepped down.
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