“It’s the people that make us special”
28 Oct 2024 | View all news
Here from the very start
A familiar face at Katharine House Hospice, Norma was one of the original voices campaigning for a hospice for Stafford in the late 1980s.
Working as a Neighbourhood Nurse Manager specialising in end-of-life and palliative care, Norma was well-placed to justify the need for local hospice care.
If you lived in Stoke, Lichfield and Wolverhampton palliative care was on your doorstep. The people of Stafford had to travel to these locations to access services.
Norma fully supported Katharine House Hospice from concept to inception. She helped to ensure the people of Stafford could access specialist care in their homes, and later at the hospice itself.
Building a better future for people with incurable illnesses
Involved in the building project that resulted in the current hospice on Weston Road, Norma was part of a team that secured crucial funding, found a suitable location, and liaised with architects on the build.
Serving a full 10-year term as a voluntary trustee, Norma helped provide strategic direction and ensure our charity’s provision of care and facilities best meet patients’ needs.
“People had such a fear of the word ‘hospice’ and were worried that once they were admitted, they wouldn’t leave.
“To change that perception, getting people into the hospice to receive the right treatment to help them manage their symptoms and go home again, that was so very rewarding.”
Still part of our family
35 years on, Norma still gives her time regularly. Hailed as the ‘raffle ticket queen’, she continues to put her powers of persuasion to good use. She supports events at the hospice and out in the community, as well as regularly attending committees.
With so many fond memories of Katharine House Hospice, Norma says it’s the people who make it special.
“It is a real team effort, everyone involved always has the best interests of patients and their families at heart.
“Seeing how the charity has expanded its service provision over the years has been a pleasure.
“It now cares for both cancer and non-cancer patients and families with a range of services in people’s own homes and at the hospice.”
It’s all about you: share your story
Please send us your memories and photos, we would love to hear from families whose lives we have touched over the years and from people who have supported our charity in any way.
Send us a few words about your cherished memory and we’ll share them online for you.