Bury Hospice is well known for providing first-class care to patients and families. As well as dedicated professionals and volunteers on the frontline, a co-ordinated approach is needed behind the scenes. In the first of two reports, we go behind the scenes with their trustees.

Simon Attwell (chairman)

A chartered accountant, Simon Attwell has worked around the world in a variety of businesses and organisations and held the chairman’s post for 10 months.

He said: “I believe in the importance of good governance and being inclusive and respectful, but driven to achieve the charitable objectives of the organisation and for it to be the best.”

His involvement with the hospice came after reading an article in the Bury Times while waiting to collect his grandson from school. He wrote to the-then chairman, saying restructuring organisations to deliver better performance was one of his specialities.

“Before I knew it I was working alongside the hospice to help them through their difficult period of time, and I became a trustee,” said Mr Atwell.

Appointed deputy chairman in 2017, then interim chief executive, and now chairman, he now has a greater understanding of the working of the hospice and the pressures faced by senior managers and staff members.

He added: “We now have a very clear strategy that has been developed between the board and chief executive, Eloise Burke, and her team.

“Financial sustainability is our biggest challenge. More than 70 per cent of hospices are expected to lose money this year and it is a constant battle to raise difficult funds to meet the demand of our service.”

The hospice is hoping Bury CCG can rebalance spending to release more funding.

Graham Yardley

Graham has over 50 years of business expertise and knowledge having worked for the civil service and within various senior level sales and business environments.

He said: “I think the sheer volume of volunteers that we have, which now exceeds 500, is testament to the support the community has for Bury Hospice.”

Mr Yardley became involved at Bury after serving as a Bolton Hospice trustee, where he was chairman for six years.

He added: “The hospice sector is a close movement and it’s been beneficial to be involved in both hospices – while I am on the board of Bury, I am still involved with Bolton.

“Recruiting new trustees that would drive Bury Hospice forward was a priority, and four years after joining the board of trustees I am proud of the team of committed and focused trustees that we have.”

Paul Horrocks

Paul Horrocks is a former newspaper editor and also a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater Manchester.

His mother was cared for at the Dumers Lane site, and when he was chairman of Bury Primary Care Trust, he became involved with the hospice.

Mr Horrocks said: “I had been chairman of the PCT and we saw the development of the hospice and helped fund the new building. I remember coming here in wellies when it had just been built and we handed over the cheque for the new building.

“I later had an opportunity to join the board after I left the PCT and there was a big push to get the hospice back on a stable footing after a turbulent time.

“I wanted to make sure that we fulfilled the maximum potential that this hospice has.”

Ruth Robinson

Ruth Robinson, a Bury resident for the past 30 years, has been a trustee since June 2016 and is managing director of Brighter Business Solutions.

She said: “I appreciate the value of a hospice and the first time I came, I was bowled over by the quality of care and the facility.

“We still have a job to do in letting people know what we have here. People still associate the hospice purely with death.

“I am very commercially focused and passionate about bringing contacts in.

“I am also motivated by the challenge to consolidate the eight beds that we have open and although we are heavily supported by the public in Bury, a lot of people are not aware of the financial pressures we face.”