An NHS leader who has developed community links and supported partnership working has been appointed as the new chief executive for Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice.
Julie Clayton, who grew up in Carlisle and has three children, also supported the county’s response to covid and worked on the vaccine rollout.
Julie said: “I really am delighted to be leading the fantastic team here and I know how loved and valued the organisation is by our community. So many people have a very strong and personal bond through their own experiences.
“I remember the hospice opening just as I was leaving Trinity School and I have supported the organisation over the years – as have so many of my family and friends. During the height of the pandemic I had two very close friends who received excellent care here. I know how much the expertise and support meant to their families, and what a difference it made.”
Julie also spent 15 years at BBC Radio Cumbria where she was a familiar voice on air leaving as assistant editor in 2015.
She moved to NHS North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group as their head of communications and engagement where much of her time was focused on collaboration and partnership working and involving the community in service development.
She started with the hospice at the end of June and said: “I have really been impressed by the warmth and professionalism of our teams since I joined. I am looking forward to spending time in each part of our organisation to find out more about how it works, and about the staff and volunteers who make it happen.”
Julie will spend time with the retail, fundraising and housekeeping teams as well as the clinical teams to experience day and inpatient services and our children’s hospice Jigsaw.
She added: “Our services depend upon the support of our community, and I know that as the cost-of-living pressures increase it makes it a harder choice to support us financially. I can see that every donation really makes a difference no matter how small you may feel it is. So, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone supporting Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw, it is very much appreciated.”
It costs the charity more than £4 million each year to provide its services, with more than £3 million of that coming through donations and other fundraising activities.
There are many ways to support the hospice, including by signing up for the weekly lottery, which costs £2 a week to play. It offers players the opportunity to win one of 58 weekly prizes, including a top prize of £1,000, and a potential rollover of up to £10,000. Learn more about the Lottery at www.edenvalleyhospice.org/lottery.
She also paid tribute to outgoing chief executive Professor Patricia Livsey, known to everyone at the hospice as Trish, who has led the organisation since 2018.
Julie said: “Trish has led the organisation through its most challenging time, supporting our teams to continue serving our community at the height of covid and through various lockdowns. Her impact has been enormous and on behalf of our teams I want to say thank you for her leadership and hard work.”
