Goodbye to CEO Nigel Harding

Staff, volunteers, Executive Team members and dignitaries turned out in force on Thursday 3rd November to thank outgoing CEO of Woking & Sam Beare Hospices, Nigel Harding and bid him farewell as he steps down from his post. Around 50 people assembled in the Day Care room of Woking Hospice for tea, cake and speeches.

The leaving celebration was attended by Woking Hospice Founder Rhod Lofting, who gave a moving speech to thank Nigel for his contribution, David Perry former Chairman of the Hospices, who also spoke, Mayor of Woking Cllr Anne Murray and a host of people from the present and past of the Hospices. In the CEO’s own emotional speech, he praised the work of his team and expressed his sadness at leaving and his excitement at the impending opening of the brand new facility, saying:

“I’m simply the oil in the machine; my job has been to help all of these wonderful people to do their work. It’s been a privilege to lead you all but now it needs a fresh pair of eyes in this exciting time and Jayne is exactly the right person for this.”

Mr Harding has been CEO of our Hospices for six years and in his tenure has seen building work on the new hospice in Goldsworth Park through to near completion. He leaves to take up a position in St Joseph’s Hospice, Hackney; the oldest and largest hospice in the UK.

He is succeeded by Jayne Cooper, who will be Interim CEO.
Jayne joined the Hospices in September 2015 as Director of Nursing from the Buckinghamshire NHS Trust where she was Associate Chief Nurse for Integrated Medicine and a member of the Executive team responsible for the operational, financial and quality delivery of services and strategic objectives, overseeing over 800 nursing staff.

A Registered Nurse (Child), in 2011 Jayne was a recipient of the prestigious Florence Nightingale Foundation Children and Young People Leadership Scholarship which allowed her to develop her strategic thinking, management and leadership skills and to optimise her professional impact.

Speaking of her new role Jayne Cooper said: “I’m really looking forward to leading the Hospices during this intense period of activity and as we implement our plans for the future which I know will help to transform the provision of palliative care in North West Surrey.”

Learn more about our Trustees and Officers here.