Member Article

New Chief Executive at hospice charity

A charity that provides end of life care to people in their homes in North Yorkshire has appointed a new chief executive.

Karen Wilkinson-Bell is the new head of Herriot Hospice Homecare, having taken over the reins of the Northallerton-based charity from Liz Pollard, who has retired after 11 years at the helm.

Karen, an independent management consultant, previously headed up the North East for the Prince of Wales’ charity Business in the Community and has also held senior roles in Relate and Diabetes UK, as well as in the private sector and the NHS.

She said: “I am delighted to have joined Herriot Hospice Homecare and am looking forward to working with the staff, volunteers and trustees to seek new opportunities for the organisation in the coming years.

“As an organisation which is now almost wholly self-funding, one of my main responsibilities will be to further raise the profile of the charity, locally, regionally and even nationally, and to build relationships with our key stakeholders and opinion formers.

“It is an exciting challenge and one which I am looking forward to with relish.”

Herriot Hospice Homecare chairman, Peter Kershaw, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Karen to this important role at a crucial time in the charity’s development.

“Providing end of life care to people in local communities here in rural North Yorkshire has never been more important, and with an ageing population, the need for what we do is only set to increase.

“We believe that Karen’s skills and experience are exactly what we need to help us navigate the challenges ahead, and at the same time, to make the most of new opportunities.

“We would also like to pay tribute to the impact Liz has had on the charity during her years with us. She has been instrumental in helping to grow our services and establishing the fine reputation we have.”

Liz said: “Whilst ready to retire, I am sad at leaving the charity. During my time I have met some wonderful people, from the families of people we support through to our trustees and staff. Without their support Herriot Hospice Homecare would not have been able to develop as it has.

“It is a very different organisation now than the one I joined 11 years ago. We used to get 80 referrals a month and now receive 700, and we have gone from providing a respite sitting and driving service to offering a wide range of services, including end of life care, complementary therapies, and bereavement counselling.

“I wish Karen and all the team at Herriot Hospice the best of luck for the future.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Neil Shaefer .