Helen Nellis is first new official patron for Luton’s Keech Hospice Care

HM Lord Lieutenant for Bedfordshire, Helen Nellis, will bring her unique expertise, passion and enthusiasm to her new role as an ambassador for Keech Hospice Care.

Liz Searle, CEO of Keech Hospice Care, said she’s thrilled to have Helen Nellis on board as the hospice looks forward to marking its 30th anniversary in 2021.

Liz said: “Helen’s experience and expertise in the NHS, business and education, teamed with her long history of supporting our charity, make her the perfect match to become patron. We’re honoured that she has agreed to represent Keech, using her skills to raise awareness, make new contacts, increase our impact in the community and advise us further on securing financial support towards the £6 million we need every year to ensure we can continue making the difference when it matters the most.”

The Lord Lieutenant’s appointment also marks the beginning of Keech’s search for new ambassadors throughout the local community.

The charity, which cares for adults in Luton and south Bedfordshire and children in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes with life-limiting and terminal illnesses, is looking for a new cohort of high profile supporters to help make a lasting contribution to those who need it most.

Leading individuals will be approached over the coming months and invited to join the hospice’s new ambassador programme launching early next year.

Speaking about her new role, Mrs Nellis said: “In Bedfordshire we are extremely fortunate to have Keech Hospice Care located in our county with its reach into Herts and Milton Keynes.

“I have long admired and supported the outstanding professional and compassionate care offered by all associated with Keech Hospice Care and consider it an honour to join my name to the names of those who have gone before me, who founded the hospice, as well as those who continue to sustain the future of Keech through their generosity in so many ways.”