A hospice has bid farewell to its chief executive as it begins to plan for the future.
The chairman of St Luke’s Hospice, Mike Redhouse, wrote to members of the charity this week informing them that Mike Coward had taken early retirement after more than a decade at the helm.
In the letter, Mr Redhouse said: “Over the past 13 years, Mike has worked very hard to make an exceptional contribution to the success, growth and development of the hospice.
“Mike will leave behind a legacy of dedication and excellence to patient care.”
The hospice, based in Kenton Road, Harrow, works to provide the highest quality of life to people with terminal illnesses.
The charity has now appointed Robert Creighton as its interim chief executive. He will play an instrumental role in appointing a permanent replacement in the summer.
Mr Creighton told the Observer: “When I came here in November what I found was a place in good spirits and in good order.
“There is a lot of energy here and a real willingness to meet the challenges that are always there, and that would really be a tribute to Mike.”
Mr Creighton was appointed chief executive of Ealing Primary Care Trust in 2002, staying in the role for 10 years before retiring and then stepping forward to take
the temporary role at St Luke’s Hospice.
He was previously chief executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital, and has also worked for the Department of Health.
He added: “I feel very privileged to be here. It is rather inspiring to come here and to see the excellent work people do and the way the community is involved in it. It is like one big family.
“We have an astonishing roll call of volunteers in this community, including those who work in our shops around Harrow and Brent who not only seek to raise as much as they can for us, but also really see themselves as ambassadors in the community.”
Under Mr Coward’s tenure the charity celebrated its 25th anniversary with a successful year-long fundraising campaign to raise £250,000 that was supported and documented by the Observer.
