Helen’s volunteer role on Rowcroft’s Board
Volunteering for Rowcroft takes many forms, but for Helen Boyd, joining the hospice in 2021 (initially as a Trustee and now as the Chair of the Board of Trustees) was the way she felt she could contribute most constructively to the life and future of the hospice. Here Helen sheds some light on her background, involvement on Rowcroft’s Board of Trustees, and her busy life on her farm in Dartmouth.
Helen’s day job on the farm
“I combine my volunteer role for Rowcroft with my day job running a goat farm and cheese-making business, Stone Tree Dairy, alongside my husband Martin. It’s quite a new business, but we have over 300 goats, and produce award-winning cheese that we sell in the South West and across the UK,” says Helen. “Until recently, I was Chief Operating Officer at Reclaim Fund Ltd, which is a not-for-profit, arms-length government body, following a career delivering support to the financial services industry.”
Helen’s experience as a Trustee
“I was Trustee and Chair of the Finance and General Purposes Committee of the Stroke Association for seven years before joining Rowcroft. I joined the Stroke Association because I wanted to work with a charity that supported people at the most vulnerable time in their lives. This same commitment prompted me to apply to Rowcroft when I reached the end of my term at the Stroke Association. Crucially, I wanted to work with a charity that was rooted in my local area. I quickly realised that Rowcroft was a unique charity, with an incredible commitment to the wellbeing of its staff and volunteers, and passion for delivering the best possible services to patients and loved ones. This is what continues to drive me, and the rest of the Board too.”
Innovation at its best
“Rowcroft is distinctive not only in providing excellent care, but also in its pursuit of new and innovative ways to support patients and those closest to them, to develop sustainable income streams, and to play its role in the communities of South Devon.”
Rowcroft’s commitment
“When I became a Trustee at Rowcroft, I also became Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee. This committee makes sure that every penny that people raise for Rowcroft, whether by donating, fundraising, buying a coffee in one of our cafes or donating clothes to our shops, is put to the best use possible, so that the hospice can deliver services long into the future. As Chair, this commitment remains at the heart of Board decision-making, making sure that we use our financial resources to deliver the best possible services to all those whose lives we touch.”
Facing the challenges ahead
“Rowcroft is a unique charity and I’m so proud to play my role, however small. The next few years will bring challenges, with the cost of living crisis, continued pressures on healthcare services, and strategic challenges as we seek new income streams. But I know that with a strong and committed Board, a great team, the loyal and brilliant volunteers who are so crucial to the life of the hospice, and the affection and support of the community of which we are all a part, Rowcroft will continue to make every day the best day possible for patients and those closest to them.”