Ashgate Hospicecare have announced the appointment of two new Trustees who will help to
shape the charity’s strategy, as they plan for the future needs of their local community and help
meet the needs of patients for years to come.
Joining the Board of Trustees are Kirsty McMillan, Director of Integration and Direct Services for Derby City Council and Dermot Toberty, former Director of the largest HR Shared Service
Centre in Europe.
In addition to her current role, Kirsty McMillan is also an active member of the local NHS and
social care system, known as ‘Joined Up Care Derbyshire’. She previously worked as a Chief
Officer within Local Government, as well as operationally within the housing association,
supported housing and homelessness sectors.
Kirsty McMillan, Trustee at Ashgate Hospicecare, said:
“Having supported my own mother to live her final months in a way that she wanted, even though this was not conventional and at times tested the local palliative care team, I saw first-hand that as far as she was able, she died her way and in control of even the smallest decisions right up until her last few days. This was incredibly powerful to see and reminded me that individuals can have amazing strength in character, even at the most testing times in their lives.
I am a passionate advocate for the ethos and values of the hospice sector, and Ashgate embodies this and more! I hope to be able to raise the profile of the contribution that Ashgate and palliative care can make to people’s lives.”
Dermot Toberty trained as an accountant and qualified whilst living up in the North East, and
then moved to Chesterfield with his wife and two daughters in 1988 to work for Royal Mail.
Following a wide variety of finance roles across the UK, he moved to HR in 2003 to set up and
run the largest HR Shared Service Centre in Europe. He remained there until his retirement in
2017.
Dermot Toberty, Trustee at Ashgate Hospicecare, said:
“In 2019, a very close friend was diagnosed with a terminal illness and she began to receive her end-of-life care from Bolton Hospice. Seeing and hearing about the care she received in her final few months was truly wonderful.
Knowing that she was being well cared for in a lovely environment made the whole experience of her passing a lot more bearable. Nothing was left to chance and when she needed something it was delivered in an instant, without any fuss or bother, with care and compassion.
Later, when I heard about the funding issues at Ashgate, and coming from a financial
background, I was keen to get involved. I am very proud to be part of the Ashgate Team.”
Commenting on the appointment of the new Trustees, Nicholas Jeffrey, Chair of the Board at
Ashgate Hospicecare, said:
I am absolutely delighted to welcome Kirsty and Dermot as new Trustees to Ashgate. They bring with them a wealth of expertise, as well as compassion and a shared vision for a society where everyone can die with dignity and comfort.
I am really looking forward to working with them as we shape our future services, which
includes plans for how we cope with rising demand and more complex patient needs as people
live longer with more complicated conditions.
For more information please contact:
Cat Maddy, PR Manager
07736 934 963
Catherine.maddy@ashgatehospicecare.org.uk
Ashgate Hospicecare, based in Chesterfield, provides specialist palliative and end of life
care including a wide range of community-based care and support services for
people with a life-limiting illness and their families across North Derbyshire and the High
Peak and Dales.
For more information about the Trustees at Ashgate Hospicecare, please visit:
https://www.ashgatehospicecare.org.uk/whoweare_category/our-trustees/
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