EACH stalwart gives charity reason to celebrate as she reaches landmark anniversary

December 24, 2020

It has been tough all round for charities this year, but East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) has been celebrating at the end of it and marking an incredible 30 years of service from Senior Care Assistant Sandra Holmes.

Sandra works at EACH’s hospice in Milton, just north of Cambridge, and has seen nearly everything, the hospice only having opened in 1989, a year before she started.

On Tuesday (22 December) she was presented with flowers by EACH Chief Executive Phil Gormley, with colleagues in attendance to say hoorah.

Sandra said: “I really can’t believe it’s been 30 years since I joined EACH – time really does fly – and to think when I started I only planned to stay for two years!

“I have seen lots of changes over the last 30 years, some good, some not so good and some very challenging. I have seen changes in government, changes in patrons, changes in managers, changes in staff and changes in the building structure – we have added an education centre, rearranged and added the new kitchen and dining room, and carried out two changes of our teenage Den… the list goes on.

“However, the one thing I value most is the opportunity I’ve had to be part of some very special children, young people and their families’ lives. I feel very honoured and privileged to have been part of their journey. The hospice is truly an amazing place.

“Over the years, I feel I have developed and grown along with EACH, learning so many new skills and being able to share and support my colleagues. We have worked through some challenging times, but none more so than now with COVID.”

Sandra is looking forward to continuing her time with EACH and helping the charity continue to adapt its services to meet the constant ongoing need for complex nursing and end of life care throughout the pandemic.

EACH relies on voluntary donations for the majority of its income, receiving only around 16 per cent of its funding from statutory sources. It is forecasting a £2.2 million loss in funding over the next 12 months as a result of disruption to fundraising activities and its shops, equating to a third of the total it needs to support families across East Anglia.

To make a donation that could help staff like Sandra continue providing vital care and support for families head to www.each.org.uk/donate.