The Trustees are pleased to announce that Mike Williams has become Chair of Hospiscare, following the end of Brian Aird’s term of office.
Brian led Hospiscare through a very challenging post-Covid period. He has campaigned hard for additional NHS funding and achieved a merger with Budleigh Salterton and District Hospiscare, which completed on the 1 November 2024, putting the charity in a stronger position to face the ongoing challenges.
Brian said: “To be Chair of Hospiscare has been a real privilege. I’m very proud of our highly professional staff and army of volunteers who dedicate themselves to serving the needs of patients and their families. I’ve been very encouraged by the many who donate money to make our service possible at a time when NHS funding has not kept pace with inflation. I would also like to thank my fellow Trustees – all volunteers – who have supported me unstintingly and given so freely of their time in pursuit of the continued success of Hospiscare.
“The respect, compassion and professional attitude of those associated with Hospiscare will, I know, continue in the years ahead. I wish you all well.”
Mike Williams has been a Trustee of Hospiscare for the last three years. He has been an officer in the Royal Marines, a CEO in the NHS and an academic at Exeter University with a PhD in patient safety, so he has a deep understanding of healthcare. For over thirty years Mike has been a self-supporting priest in the Church of England. In that role he has accompanied many in their final stage of life and supported bereaved families.
Mike said: “I’m looking forward to becoming the Chair and working with our staff, donors and volunteers. I recognise the largely unseen effort that Brian has made on behalf of Hospiscare to get us through the post-covid challenges, to lobby for more NHS funding and negotiate the merger with Budleigh Salterton and District. Going forward I, Helen Enright as Vice Chair, and all the team will be building on that legacy.”
