Karen Holder, the granddaughter of the founder of Butterwick Hospice, has been named as a new Ambassador for the charity.
Mary Butterwick, OBE, founded the Stockton-based hospice as a day care centre in 1984, following the death of her husband John in 1979. Disappointed by the level of help and support she’d received from the hospital at the end of John’s life, she sold the family home and set out to ensure no other families would have the same experience she did when losing a loved one.
Since the day care centre, Butterwick Hospice has grown to cover three purpose-built sites in Stockton and Bishop Auckland, providing support to patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families. The hospice provides 24-hour care to over 2,000 children and adults on a day care and residential basis.
Karen joins the team of existing Ambassadors, who support the work of the hospice, and donate their time to promote the organisation at functions, corporate events or through the media.
A primary school teacher, Karen has a keen interest in bereavement services, having studied for a Post Graduate Certificate in Childhood Bereavement and worked with families as a volunteer at the UK’s first dedicated children’s hospice. As Ambassador, she will maintain a critical link between her family and the hospice.
Karen Holder said: “I’m so proud of what my Nana achieved in the hospice. She had a very clear vision, in that she didn’t want anyone to experience the loss of a loved one in the way she did when she lost my granddad.That’s exactly what she achieved.
“It’s an amazing place, and is a tribute to her, as well as to all the staff, volunteers and fundraisers who work tirelessly to carry on what she started. I’m proud to play my part and hope, through my work as an Ambassador, I can help raise the profile of Butterwick Hospice and fantastic work it does for the people of Teesside and County Durham.”
Judith Hunter MBE, Chair of Trustees for Butterwick Hospice said: “I’d like to thank Karen for agreeing to be an ambassador for Butterwick Hospice. Her grandmother, Mary Butterwick, was an inspirational woman who dedicated her life to ensuring terminally ill patients and their families had somewhere to turn for support. We hope that, with Karen’s help, more people in Teesside and County Durham will be aware of the services available to them.”