New Chairman for St Mary's

The trustees of St Mary's Hospice have appointed Norman Broadhurst to be chairman of the board.

He replaces Lord Cavendish, who has been involved, as chairman or in other roles, with St Mary's throughout its 20 year existence. Lord Cavendish said he 'looks forward to a continuation of the association of the hospice with Holker' that has seen many successful fundraising activities over the years.

The director of St Mary's, Alan Lodge, said 'we shall miss his direct involvement and constant generous suppport, but we look forward to a new relationship with him in the role of patron. Lord Cavendish has kindly agreed to accept this role, maintaining a tradition established by his late mother. We envisage continued valuable help, particularly with fundraising and campaigning, with perhaps the opportunity to stage events at Holker Hall from time to time'.

Norman Broadhurst is an experienced executive and company director. He is a former deputy CEO of VSEL (now BAE) and finance director of Railtrack. His roles have included chairmanships of the Chloride Group and Freightliner, and non-executive directorships with United Utilities and Old Mutual. He has now substantially reduced his other business commitments and expects to spend much more time in Penny Bridge where he lives.

Mr Broadhurst said 'I am pleased to accept the chairmanship of the St Mary's board at a time when its services are expanding to meet community needs and its central part in the provision of palliative care is increasingly being recognised. I look forward to working with colleagues to ensure continued success, while recognising that the economic climate could present some interesting challenges for an organisation dependent on the support and generosity of the community.'