If you are in business — Rotherham Hospice Needs You.

The trustees of the hospice all give their time voluntarily and are the governing body that oversees all of the Hospice work in the community and at the inpatient and day care services at Broom Road.  

Christopher Duff, chief executive, said: “We are grateful for the help and support of our trustees and particularly want to find trustees who have backgrounds and experience in business and commerce and who understand social media, marketing and public relations.

“We have ambitious plans for the future and are determined to build and grow our services so that we can help more people throughout the Rotherham area who need us.

“If you are active in business, have strong commercial skills and good contacts in the business community in the Rotherham area and so can offer this vital experience then Rotherham Hospice needs you!”

Lynda Shelton, the chair of the Hospice Trustee Board, outlined the important reasons for being a hospice trustee, and said: “Putting skills and experience to good use as a trustee is a practical way for busy people to make a contribution to their community and ensuring the strategic vision of the hospice and working with fellow trustees on the major decisions is very stimulating.

“Although becoming a trustee, holding the charity ‘in trust’ is an important commitment for someone, the opportunity to make a lasting  difference to a cause you care about is emotionally very satisfying.”

The hospice hopes to expand its Community team and its Hospice at Home team. It also wants to increase the range of support offered through specialist nursing and therapy services. The Hospice will be expanding the Hospice at Home service to a 24 hours, seven days a week service in partnership with Marie Curie soon and will be increasing its domicilliary care support for patients at home but there is much more needed to help the people of the Rotherham area. All of this requires funding and the plan is to grow fundraising and lottery income, especially through corporate sponsorship. 

Jo Flanagan is an accountant and partner with Lambert and Flanagan Limited who recently retired from the Hospice Trustee Board.

She said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a trustee at the hospice. Being a trustee here is a privilege and before I joined the team I had not appreciated how much I would get out of the role. You join hoping you can add your expertise and experience to benefit the organisation without realising how much you are going to learn and take away from it yourself. You can only understand the hospice’s breadth of impact by looking from the inside. I have learned so much across a wide range of areas which I will benefit me in my professional and personal life. I have also met many outstanding people, many of whom have become great friends. It has been a wonderful experience.”

The Hospice Board of Trustees had also recorded its  adness when it received the news of the death of the president Dr Frank Neal back on September 29 2014. Trustees paid tribute to Dr Neal as an inspirational founder and leader for more than two decades and said his work would continue to inspire the purpose and achievements of the trustees and the Hospice Charity.

Lynda Shelton underlined the importance of the role of trustee, “working in partnership with talented staff and meeting other volunteers from diverse backgrounds — knowing that what we do really can improve the experience of patients and families at a critical time.”

Those interested in more information can contact Christopher Duff, chief executive at the hospice, at [email protected]