Heart of Kent Hospice in Aylesford, Kent is pleased to announce that Geraldine Allinson OBE DL has been appointed their new Patron.
As a Kent Ambassador and a Deputy Lieutenant for Kent, Geraldine cares deeply about her roots and the county of Kent and as Patron of Heart of Kent Hospice will seek to highlight the breadth of services provided by the Hospice, an independent charity which provides expert palliative end-of-life care for people and their families facing the challenge of a terminal illness. The charity also provides award-winning specialist dementia support.
In 2020 Geraldine was awarded Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to local media in Kent.
Geraldine said “I believe Heart of Kent Hospice plays a vital role in our local community, not only helping those at the end of their lives but also those around them in very difficult times. I have long been an admirer of what they do for us all and am deeply honoured to have been asked to be Patron.
I will do all I can to support the Chief Executive Rachel Street, all Hospice colleagues, patients and the amazing volunteers in their truly noble work. I also thank the Board of Trustees for the faith they are putting in me. I cannot possibly fill the late Lady Monckton’s shoes, but I am sure that together we can ensure ‘her Hospice’ thrives and the good work it does for our community endures long into the future.”
Rachel Street said: “Geraldine has been a long-term supporter of our Hospice and we are honoured that she has chosen to support our charity as our Patron. I look forward to working closely with Geraldine, and having her support and guidance as Patron will be hugely beneficial for the continued success of the Hospice, helping us to deliver care and support to people in our community when they need us the most.”
Geraldine was born and educated in Kent and grew up in Linton near Maidstone. She now lives with her husband Rupert on the Downs not far from Lenham and has two adult children.
Geraldine has spent most of her career in the local news industry heading up the KM Media Group, representing the company and the industry at local and national level. For many years she worked closely with fellow colleagues to guide the company through a massive transformation into a streamlined multimedia company fit for the digital era. Geraldine is currently a Non-Executive Director for Iliffe Media Group who now own the KM, an Appointments Panel Member of The Independent Press Standards Organisation, a Non-Executive Director of PA Media Group Ltd and a Non-Executive Director of Radiocentre (the industry body for commercial radio).
As well as continuing with her career supporting good quality independent journalism, her time is also dedicated to charities and organisation which help and improve life for the people of Kent.
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About Heart of Kent Hospice
Heart of Kent Hospice has been providing free, compassionate, end-of-life care to people living with a terminal illness and their loved ones in Maidstone, Aylesford, Tonbridge and Malling and the surrounding towns and villages for the past 31 years.
The Hospice has built an excellent reputation within the local community for the quality of its care, which has been further endorsed by the Care Quality Commission who awarded us with an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ following an inspection in February 2017.
Our vision is for everyone living with a terminal illness in our community to achieve the best quality of life. We are committed to achieving this by enabling them to live in comfort, with independence and dignity to the end of their lives, and to support those closest to them.
Last year the Hospice cared for over 1,800 patients and their families in their own homes or at our Aylesford-based Hospice. Our services cost £5 million a year to run, and we depend heavily on our loyal community of supporters, whose generous donations and fundraising activities raise over £4 million.
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