Dr Brian Herd steps down as President.

We would like to announce that our founder member and long standing President, Dr Brian Herd, will be stepping down from his role. The charity is delighted to announce that Dr Robert Walker, who has been in the role of Vice President with the charity since 2019, will be assuming the position of President effective immediately.

Dr Brian Herd has dedicated almost 40 years to setting up the charity and working tirelessly to get hospice care for local people in their own homes. In the past four decades, there has been significant growth and service development since those early days, with thousands of patients and families supported with palliative and end of life care over the years. During Brian’s Presidency, the charity has achieved numerous accolades, including international recognition as the UK model which best represents integrated state funded and independent sector end of life care services to a scattered rural population; winning BECBC Charity of the Year 2023, and recently receiving a letter from Buckingham Palace to announce that His Majesty King Charles III is delighted to continue his ongoing Patronage of the local charity. Everyone at Hospice at Home West Cumbria would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Dr Brian Herd for his dedication, leadership and the positive impact he has made in the community and to the lives of patients and families across West Cumbria.

Dr Robert Walker brings a wealth of experience and commitment to the mission of the charity. Commenting on his new role, he said: “I am honoured to take on the role of President of Hospice at Home West Cumbria. I am passionate about continuing our mission to provide exceptional care and support to those in need in the community.”

Talking to Dr Brian Herd he said: “You can’t tell where starting a journey like this is going to end, but I can say that coming on the journey has been quite inspiring. By listening to what our patients tell us, and their carers/ family say, the need becomes apparent and with the flexibility of being a hospice without walls; we can tackle whatever the demands are. I see a bright future for the charity.”