Demelza CEO celebrates 25 years with charity

Vin joined the charity as Administration and Personnel Manager in 1999, a year after the main hospice site opened in Rook Lane, Sittingbourne.

She became Demelza’s CEO in February 2022, holding the interim post for the previous 10 months, and launched the charity’s five-year strategy the same year.

Vin celebrates her 25 years today (Friday 13^th December) and while this can be a superstitious day for some, she says she feels nothing but pride and triumph to have reached the milestone of working for a charity she feels so passionately about.

In two and a half decades, Vin has seen many changes at Demelza – including the opening of the hospice in Eltham and the hub in East Sussex - but also in the wider hospice and health care sectors. One of the key challenges is the same now as it was when she joined and that’s the issue of funding.

She said: “The long-standing issue for all hospices is the lack of sustainable funding for the vital services we provide. These services are not just nice to have, they are genuinely essential.

“Many families describe Demelza as their lifeline, the only place they get any help. Demelza relieves pressure on the wider health and social care sector, we prevent A&E admissions, facilitate early discharge from hospital, support end-of-life care outside the hospital – providing choice for families.

“There is so much that Demelza does and as long as I am CEO I will continue campaigning for fair funding for children’s palliative care.

“But I do also want to stress that I don’t ask for and nor do I want Demelza to be fully funded. We are deeply linked to the wonderful communities we serve – people feel part of Demelza and we are proud of that and it’s how we want it to stay.”

Before she joined Demelza, Vin worked in primary care developing local outreach services for both proactive and reactive healthcare needs and commissioning services form NHS Trusts and providers which best met the needs of patients.

During her time at the charity, Vin has helped the organisation grow and develop its services and has been instrumental in establishing a culture that strives for excellence and puts children and families at the centre of decision-making. While she recognises that change is not always easy for people involved with an organisation, Vin says it’s vital that it takes place to ensure Demelza is not left behind and is always looking forward, ensuring children and families are receiving the best possible care and support.

Reflecting on her time at Demelza, Vin says there’s not one thing she regrets and that she feels a huge sense of pride to have been here both as part of and overseeing some big changes.

She said: “There have been changes in the needs of the families we support and significant progress in how we treat different conditions, and we have learnt all we can from every opportunity.

“The children and families have taught us so much – they are our inspiration and the reason I wouldn’t choose any other job.

“Demelza is a wonderful organisation and we have got a fantastic workforce. I’d like to thank all of our staff and volunteers and the families who trust us to help provide care for the children they love. They are the people who are inspirational and incredibly humbling. I feel really proud to be marking 25 years here.”