Chair of Trustees, Karen Swindley, who has dedicated nine years of her time – a third of the hospice’s existence – will be retiring from the Board of Trustees at Derian House Children’s Hospice.
Under her guidance, the charity has gone from strength to strength – achieving an Outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission and strengthening Derian House’s reputation as a leader in children’s hospice care.
As Chair of the Board, Karen helped steer major initiatives, including the £1.7million refurbishment of the hospice building and gardens in 2019, and the development of the Derian on Holiday service, enabling families to enjoy precious time away together, free of charge.
Now stepping back from her role, Karen is looking forward to enjoying more time with family and friends.
“It has been an absolute honour to serve as the Chair of Trustees at Derian House,” said Karen, whose career in the NHS spanned 35 years, before she retired two years ago from her role as Chief People Officer at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
“Working alongside such passionate, talented people – from staff and volunteers to my fellow trustees – has been incredibly rewarding. I’m very proud of everything we’ve achieved together, especially seeing Derian House recognised nationally for the outstanding care it provides.
“Everyone hears children’s hospice, and they think that it must be a sad place. And yes, Derian House does have some sad moments, but there is also so much joy there too. It’s filled with children and young people who are being given experiences that they wouldn’t ordinarily have. Our teams go above and beyond to make sure families make the most of every moment and so it can also be a very happy place to be.
“The first time I visited Derian House was for an open day and craft fair at the hospice about 20 years ago. The hospice has links to my family as my nephew used Derian House’s services – so I already knew what the charity did. I have always been a public servant, and for me, it has always been about giving something back. I joined the Board of Trustees in December 2016 becoming Chair early in 2017.
“I joined Derian House at a difficult time for the hospice. I remember being in my first ever Board meeting with the other Trustees and discussing the outcome of a recent Care Quality Commission inspection which had come back as ‘requires improvement’. To come from that, now to a rating of ‘outstanding’ is amazing. I remember that it took a very long time for the results of that last inspection to come back, because it’s so unusual for an organisation to jump to such a high rating in one inspection so there was a lot of scrutiny over the outcome. When we finally heard the news it just blew us all away – that we’d been able to achieve that.
“Because of having such a broad remit in my executive role in the NHS and knowledge of the Care Quality Commission, it has meant that I have been able to understand every part of the business – whether its human resources, quality, finance – it’s all essential to making sure things run as they should for our families. I hope I have been able to put that experience to good use during my time with Derian.
“I feel incredibly proud of the organisation and what it does. Derian House is above and beyond respite care. And the charity is now so innovative in so many ways. One of my favourite things about the charity is the holiday lodges, where Derian families can have a free week’s holiday each year. I feel honoured to have been part of this journey and to see how far we have come.
“I’m going to miss Derian House, it has been a huge part of my life for almost 10 years. I have so many memories there. A truly unforgettable moment for me was when a mystery donor decided to gift a fully paid for Disney holiday for 13 of our families, I’m not ashamed to admit I cried when I heard! I’ll also miss the Lights of Love service each December, a lovely event and the start of Christmas for many, when our community comes together to watch one of our families light up the Christmas tree.
“Now that I’m stepping down, I’m looking forward to spending more time with family and friends, including my husband, Barry, and our two dogs Alfie and Mitzi. We’ll be spending lots of time doing DIY in our home as we have just recently moved. I’m also looking forward to spending more time catching up with friends.
“It has been an absolute privilege. I want to say thank you to my fellow Trustees, who give up their time for such a fantastic cause. I also want to thank all the Derian House staff and volunteers, you are all amazing. Everyone is dedicated to what Derian does, and have made it the wonderful place that it is. I wish everyone all the best for the future. I feel so very proud of Derian House and all those who work there and those who support us. I hope that the charity continues to grow and prosper in the future.”
Derian House has now appointed a new Chair of the Trustee Board, Paul Morton.
Karen Edwards OBE, Chief Executive of Derian House, paid tribute to Karen’s service, saying: “I have enjoyed working with Karen, she has been a huge support for me especially in the early days of my role as Chief Executive here at Derian House. Karen has brought wisdom, compassion and a deep commitment to everything she’s done here at the hospice. Her time as Chair has been instrumental in shaping our vision and ensuring we deliver on our promise to children and families.
“We are incredibly grateful for her dedication and all she has done to strengthen the hospice. On behalf of everyone at Derian House, I thank her sincerely and wish her all the best in her well-earned retirement.”
