Janet Cawtheray, Chief Executive of Overgate Hospice, has announced her plan to take early retirement.
Janet joined Overgate in March 2011 and under her leadership the charity has gone from strength to strength, supporting more local people living with a life limiting illness than ever before. For almost 10 years, Janet has work tirelessly to lead the organisation despite a long term health condition. It is her health which has led her to make the difficult decision to retire early.
Among the most notable points of Janet’s time in charge is the planning of a new Inpatient Unit and redevelopment of the existing building to better serve the changing needs of the Calderdale community. The project received planning permission from Calderdale Council in April 2019 and, despite being delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hospice hopes to bring this new facility to life in the coming years.
Janet has also seen the introduction of new, specialist support services to provide vital help to local people living with a wider variety of illnesses at varying stages of their diagnosis.
Janet said: “To have had the opportunity to lead Overgate through a time of so much change and development has been a huge privilege. I’m incredibly proud of how much we have transformed the care and services we provide during my time as Chief Executive.
“I’ve been blessed to have the most dedicated workforce who share my passion for providing the very best care to those who need it. In addition, the loyal help Overgate receives from its army of volunteers is tremendous and I would like to thank each and every one of them for their continued support.
“Finally, none of the successes I have achieved in my time would have been possible without the people and businesses of Calderdale who continue to generously contribute to the costs of providing our much-needed services.”
Janet had originally planned to retire in December 2020, however as the impact of Covid-19 began to be felt at the Hospice, she postponed her retirement to steer the charity through this challenging time. She will continue in her role until 31 May 2021, providing sufficient time to find a successor and enabling Janet to support them during their first weeks in post.
Sheila Dent, Overgate’s Chair of Trustees, said: “During Janet’s time at the Hospice, she has transformed the organisation, diversifying the care we provide to reach more people than ever before, whilst significantly developing the workforce and facilities to ensure we can continue to care for our community for years to come.”
“On behalf of Overgate Hospice, I would like to thank Janet for her many years of dedicated service and wish her well in her retirement.
As Overgate celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, the search now begins for the right person to lead Overgate into the next chapter of its future.”