Martin House welcomes new Chair of Trustees as long-serving board members retire
Martin House Children’s Hospice has announced changes to its Board of Trustees, as three long-serving trustees step down following years of service.
Tim Halstead, Mike Millington and Stephen Plews have all retired from the board, having helped guide the hospice through a significant period in its history. This includes the completion of its £21.9m redevelopment project, The BUILD, set to open this June.
Tim Halstead steps down after 13 years as a trustee, including the last eight as Chair of the Board.
Reflecting on his time with the hospice, Tim said:
It has been an immense privilege and simply one of the best things I have ever done. Martin House is a safe haven for families of children with life-shortening conditions, yet it’s also a joyous place, run with clinical expertise, care and compassion. I shall continue to support Martin House from a few steps further back.
Mike Millington also served for 13 years. He said:
It’s been an honour to support Martin House. I have learned so much, and continue to be amazed by the dedication and passion of the wider hospice team, delivering world class care and support to the families across Yorkshire.
Stephen Plews was a trustee for 20 years, and served as the trustee representative on the BUILD board. He said:
To see this ambitious project come to fruition is fabulous. Everyone involved should be so proud. I will continue to support Martin House going forward in whatever way I am able. Thank you to the trustee board, the senior leadership team and all our wonderful people for making my time spent with Martin House so enjoyable and memorable.
Martin House confirmed that Tim Straughan has become the hospice’s new Chair of Trustees.
Tim joined the board in 2017 and previously chaired the Finance and Resources Committee. He spent eight years working for the NHS, most recently as Group Director of Primary Care and Community Services.
Tim said he hopes to use his experience to help the hospice continue providing the highest quality personalised care for children, young people and families across Yorkshire.
Martin House has also welcomed Matthew Rayner as a new trustee. Matthew has more than 25 years of experience in financial services, specialising in strategy, risk and leadership.
Clair Holdsworth, CEO at Martin House, said:
We are incredibly grateful to Tim, Mike and Stephen for their many years of dedication, support and leadership at Martin House. They have each played an important role in helping shape the hospice into what it is today, including supporting us through one of the most ambitious projects in our history.
We are also delighted to welcome Tim Straughan as our new Chair of Trustees, alongside Mat Rayner, who joins the board as a new trustee. Their experience and insight will be invaluable as we continue to develop our services and support even more families across Yorkshire.
