A special thank you from our CEO

One thing that has become clear to me in my first year as CEO is: this hospice is built on you.

The compassion, skill, and resilience I see every day from our staff inspire me endlessly. Whether you’re providing care at the bedside, welcoming families through our doors, keeping our systems running, or maintaining the spaces that make St Mary’s feel like home — your work matters deeply. You are the reason patients and families feel supported, safe, and cared for.

To our volunteers — you truly are the heartbeat of St Mary’s. You give thousands of hours each year, and what you bring goes far beyond time. You bring energy, warmth, and kindness that cannot be measured. You create connections and moments of joy that mean more than you may ever know.

And to every single one of you — staff and volunteers alike — please never forget the difference you make. St Mary’s receives less than 20% of our funding from government, which means 8 out of 10 patients are cared for thanks to voluntary income. But it is your dedication and compassion that transform that support into care, into comfort, and into dignity for the people we serve.

St Mary’s doesn’t just belong to the community — it belongs to you, too. You are the heart of everything we do.

So this week, and every week, I want to say a heartfelt, personal thank you. I am so proud to walk alongside you.