Hospice charity Trustees sign off after 62 years
A Christchurch hospice charity has paid tribute to two retiring Trustees who have together dedicated over 60 years to its success.
Keith Lomas and Jean Kelleway have served 44 and 18 years respectively as Trustees of Macmillan Caring Locally (MCL), the charity which supports the Macmillan Unit, in the grounds of Christchurch Hospital, which provides specialist palliative care for around 1600 people each year.
As Trustees, Keith and Jean have been responsible for helping to grow awareness and support for the charity’s work and spearheading successful fundraising campaigns, including the current Brick by Brick appeal to build a brand new, modern, fit for purpose hospice in the next few years.
Keith, 92, is a former chief executive and town clerk of Bournemouth Borough Council and became a Trustee of MCL in 1977.
He said: “I think I’ve stayed in the role for such a long time because the charity supports people who really need it and I’ve felt I can be of practical help.
“MCL was the first charity in the country to build a hospice in partnership with the NHS – and that is something to be proud of.
“The additional funds we raise are there to provide special extras to very sick patients which the NHS cannot provide – from final visits to their favourite football ground, to a welcomed gin and tonic in the late afternoon.”
He added: “As Trustees we have always been very lucky to have a great deal of support for MCL. When a family member or work colleague has been terminally ill and received expert care from our clinical team, their families and friends often go on to become loyal and long-term supporters.
“I now retire feeling I have helped build something very worthwhile and wishing the charity nothing but continued success.”
Jean trained in General Nursing and Midwifery in Bristol Hospitals in the early 1950s. After that she spent seven years in the Kenya Colonial Nursing Service towards the end of the Mau Mau uprising.
The former Bournemouth magistrate and Mayoress (1979-1980) said: “I was originally the only woman on the MCL Board and believe I have been able to add a different and valuable perspective.
“I was involved in the appointment of our Secretary Neal Williams, who is a huge asset to the charity.
“And there have been many highlights, including working with our wonderful staff, volunteers and supporters and visiting the now closed Grove Hotel which the charity funded, where I met people and their families who came from all over the country for respite care. I loved to see the joy in their faces.”
Jean added: “Back in 1948 when I started nursing, cancer was a word that was hardly ever mentioned. Now we have expert diagnosis and a great deal of awareness and support.
“I am excited for the future of MCL and although I am now 89, I very much look forward to attending the opening of our fantastic new hospice in the next few years.”
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mike Emsley, said: “On behalf of Macmillan Caring Locally (MCL) I should like to thank Keith and Jean for their tremendous commitment to the charity over so many years.
“As MCL has evolved, their appreciation and understanding of what the charity is all about has been invaluable as they have helped to guide us through so many ups and downs. They both leave with our warmest wishes.”
MCL is delighted to welcome two new Trustees to the Board, Sheila Collins and Dr Angus Hickish
