Prospect Hospice has been providing end of life care to the people of Swindon and north east Wiltshire for over 40 years. Find out more about where we've come from and who we are here.
Find out about the range of end-of-life care services that we offer to patients and their families. These delivered free of charge and are designed to provide compassionate, personalised support during every stage of a life-limiting illness in every kind of care setting, to anyone who needs it.
We couldn’t do what we do without considerable support from our local community. Find out all the different ways in which you can support Prospect Hospice, including fundraising, volunteering and purchasing from our shops. All contributions are greatly appreciated and enables us to deliver care that is free of charge to our patients and their families.
CEO
irenewatkins@prospect-hospice.net 01793 813355
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Trustee since 2021 Robin enjoyed a successful career at Nationwide from trainee to reaching executive director status. Robin has a strong experience to draw on. He has vast experience in managing and leading specialised teams, with well developed leadership skills and strategic initiatives.
Vice chair of trustees
Trustee since 2018 Sheila is the chief finance officer of Leading Resolutions, an independent IT consultancy providing professional services to FTSE 250 organisations and major charities. Sheila is the chair of our finance and income generation committee and also sits on our patient services committee. She is a chartered management accountant with over 25 years’ experience gained across a variety of organisations, in both executive and non-executive posts. Having started, built and run her own businesses several times over the past two decades, Sheila has a solid understanding of all elements of success and puts people firmly at the heart of every decision. Outside of work, Sheila lives with her husband and has their two adult sons, a horse, a Shetland pony and an adored Westie dog to keep her occupied.
Trustee since 2018 John chairs our nominations committee and sits on our people and resources committee. He was, until he retired in June 2018, the chief executive of Swindon Borough Council, having enjoyed a professional career of nearly 40 years in local government service. In his role as chief executive, John oversaw the council’s entire service delivery and led a workforce of 3,000 people. John developed a reputation in children’s and adult services, latterly becoming the chief executive and pioneering the development to make Swindon one of the most economically efficient boroughs in the country.
Trustee
Trustee since 2018 Pradeep sits on our patient services and people and resources committees. Pradeep is senior strategy director and head of industry standards at Syniverse (a Carlyle Group company), providing strategic oversight on the adoption of leading-edge technologies. He is a recognised industry expert with 27 years’ experience in the mobile/telecoms industry. He is actively involved within the local community and has a passion for community service. He is also a keen table tennis division-1 player and county umpire. He shares the same vision as Prospect Hospice of putting people first and intends to help Prospect Hospice with its outreach, volunteering and fundraising activities. Pradeep’s commitment to the local community saw him achieve a Pride of Swindon award in 2018.
Trustee since 2015 Eleanor is an account director at local public relations consultancy, Vox, where she represents and advises businesses of all sizes and industries, with a specialism in healthcare, education and the public sector. She sits on our patient services committee, our people and resources committee and our nominations committee. In her spare time enjoys running, spending time with her family and good food.
Trustee since 2013 Caroline has worked in the financial services industry for over 25 years with an extensive background in business conduct and risk management. She chairs our audit and risk committee. She has been passionate about volunteering throughout her career and has volunteered for a number of charities over the last 30 years. Caroline has lived in or around Swindon all of her life and currently lives in Old Town with her husband and two young daughters. She loves gardening, cooking and entertaining friends.
Chair of trustees
Trustee since 2021 Kevin will sit on our finance and income generation committee and our audit and risk committee. Kevin has consultancy experience directing private and public sector organisations in solving their strategic and tactical problems.
Trustee since 2018 Sarah has an extensive background as an HR professional and, with over 22 years’ experience, she has worked in a number of senior leadership roles, predominantly within the retail and energy sectors. Sarah chairs our people and resources committee sits on our nominations committee. The work of Prospect Hospice was well known to Sarah through friends and colleagues who have experienced the care and support when their loved ones required it. She has also previously taken part in some of our fundraising events. Sarah says that she was keen to get involved in becoming a trustee of Prospect Hospice as it’s a local charity providing such excellent and critical support to the community. She wanted to give her time and experience in continuing its excellent work by being involved at the core. Sarah lives locally and has two young children who are very active with their various out of school activities and keep her very busy.
Trustee since 2019 Joe joined as a trustee in 2019 and sits on the finance and income generation and audit and risk committees. He has spent the last 20 years advising businesses and business owners on set-up, fundraising, mergers and acquisitions and stock market listings, as well as corporate governance and general advice. He is a partner at Gardner Leader Commercial Solicitors in Swindon’s Old Town, having come to work in Swindon after many years in London. He brings 20 years’ experience of offering pragmatic and commercial advice to his clients to his work at Prospect Hospice. Joe lives near Cirencester, where he spends as much time as he can in his garden.
Trustee since 2019 Jennifer joined the board of trustees in summer 2019 and sits on our finance and income generation committee and our people and resources committee. She is a senior associate solicitor at Royds Withy King, specialising in civil litigation. Jennifer represents people who have developed mesothelioma, an incurable cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos and other asbestos related diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural thickening. She also represents the families of people who have lost loved ones to the these illnesses. Jennifer set up and runs the Swindon and Wiltshire Asbestos Support Group and hosts an annual memorial day each July in Queens Park to mark national Action Mesothelioma Day, which is also aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of exposure to asbestos. Jennifer feels passionate about the importance of good palliative care and many of her clients have benefited from support provided by Prospect Hospice. Originally from Cumbria, Jennifer moved to Swindon from Reading in 2017 and lives in Old Town with her partner and Westie dog called Florence.
Trustee since 2013 Lindsay has been qualified as a doctor since 1990 and has been a consultant in Swindon since 2000. More recently, since 2010, Lindsay has been trust lead cancer clinician at the Great Western Hospital. Lindsay chairs our patient services committee and sits on our Audit and Risk Committee. Her interests outside of work include the theatre, cinema and pilates.
Trustee since 2021 Shelley will sit on our patient services committee and our audit and risk committee. Shelley has NHS, charity governance leadership and service delivery and transformation experience.
Trustee since 2012 Penny chairs sits on our patient services committee and sits on our nominations committee. She has had a long-standing interest in palliative care following working at the Royal Marsden Hospital after qualifying as a junior doctor in the 1980s. Penny has worked for the NHS for 35 years, and she gained management experience as lead clinician in the pathology service at Great Western Hospital. Penny is currently consultant cellular pathologist at North Bristol NHS Trust. She is a member of the South West Regional Quality Assurance Team, visiting laboratories throughout the south west.