Trustees

The Trustees are all volunteers (St. Rocco's Hospice being a Charity, they cannot be paid for the work they do). They meet together seven times a year at 'Council' as well as contributing to one or more of the management sub groups. Trustees are recruited with the aim of ensuring that Council has the broad mix of skills necessary to run the charity. Their appointment has to be confirmed by a vote of Members at the subsequent AGM and is for three years, with the possibility of being re-elected for two further periods of three years, after which time they stand down. We currently have eleven Trustees, whose details are given below.

Alan Farquharson- Chair
Alan was born in Warrington and is a widower with two grown up sons. After completing his education at Oxford University, Alan joined the local solicitors firm of Robert Davies & Co.. He qualified as a solicitor in 1962 and practised as a partner of Robert Davies & Co. until 1993 when he joined The Greenalls Group as Chief Legal Officer in charge of the legal department. He subsequently was also appointed Group Company Secretary. Alan retired in 2001 and has been involved in a number of community projects having been a Director of Warrington Industrial Training Trust, The Hawthorn Centre and a Director and Company Secretary of Groundwork Mersey Valley Trust. He is currently a Governor of Priestley College.

Joanne Rattigan ACMA - Treasurer
Joanne is a Chartered Management Accountant with over 20 years post qualification experience working for Unilever and Shell. Just over three years ago, she set up her own company offering business and financial services and solutions to medium to large companies in the North West. She is a member of the Current Professional Development Panel for her accountancy body. Joanne began voluntary work at St. Rocco’s Hospice in 2007, working alongside the Hospice Accountant, and became Treasurer later that year. Joanne is married with two young children. Her interests are spending time with her family, running, and travelling in North America – her aim being to visit all 52 states, currently half way!

Norman Banner
Norman qualified as a Solicitor in 1974 and is a Senior Partner with Davies Ridgway. He has held a variety of positions in both the statutory and voluntary sector, including Chairman of North Cheshire Hospital from 2001 – 2005, Chairman of Warrington Hospital NHS Trust from 1993 – 2001, Non-Executive Director in Mersey Regional Health Authority from 1990 – 1993 and National Chairman of Crossroads Care for 10 years, becoming president in1993. Norman is also the founder Director of Warrington Festival Trust, a past Governor of Lymm High School and has been Clerk to the Trustees of Lymm High School for over 20 years. Norman is married with two young sons and lives in Warrington.

Helen Baxter
Helen is a chartered physiotherapist with extensive experience in the NHS, industry and the voluntary sector (including 2½ years at St. Rocco’s Hospice) as a physiotherapist and as a community services manager. Helen has an MSc in Continuing Professional Development (Health) and has recently completed an Open University module on Creativity Innovation and Change. She currently works for the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement as an Associate in Innovation Practice, working on using design principles to develop innovative healthcare service delivery. Helen was a school governor at a Bradshaw Primary School, including 3 years as Chair of the Governing Body. She is married with two teenage children.

Canon Michael Finlay
Michael was born in Crosby, married with two children. Has been ordained since 1981, serving in and around Warrington. He has always maintained an active involvement in various community groups and has been associated with St. Rocco’s since the early 1990’s, spending three years as Hospice Chaplain. He is pleased to be a member of the Board of Trustees, and is involved in both the Estates and the Chaplaincy Committees.

Nigel Holland
Nigel is a Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician at North Cheshire Hospitals. He has been involved locally with Oncology Services, working in close liaison with St. Rocco's Hospice. He lives in Warrington and is married with three children.

Cllr. Celia Jordan MBE
Celia was born in Liverpool and started married life in Warrington 50 years ago. She has 3 sons living locally and 3 grandchildren in local schools. She retired as a Senior Teacher having taught in secondary schools for over 40 years. She is a former Chair of the Hospice Council of Management, bringing experience as a carer to her role. Celia has been a Liberal Democrat Borough Councillor for 22 years, and a Stockton Heath Parish Councillor for 26 years. She is a former Chair of Governors at Bridgewater High School. In 2007/8 she enjoyed her year as Mayor of Warrington where her theme was 'Our children, our future'. During her Mayoral year Celia was very impressed by the amount of volunteer work that goes on in Warrington which is, of course, reflected at St. Rocco's Hospice.

Roger Morey
Roger is a retired professional engineer, born in 1944. He worked for Pilkington plc for 38 years in various capacities including research, development, maintenance, contracting and buying, finishing his career as a senior manager in the capital engineering department which was responsible for building multi million pound float glass factories round the world. Roger has been involved with the Hospice since 1985 as a volunteer and, later, as a trustee as well. He is the longest serving trustee and is chairman of the Estates Sub-Group which looks after the Hospice's physical assets. He also managed the project to build the £1.6 million facility that we moved into in 1999 and is currently managing our £3.3 million Expansion Project.

Dr. Brendan O'Colmain
Born in Kenya, East Africa, Brendan has been a GP in Warrington since 1979. He qualified in Dublin in 1974 (MB BCH BAO NUI). He was Chair of the Warrington Primary Care Group (NES) and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Warrington PCT.

Margaret Wright
Margaret has been associated with the Hospice since 1996, joining when the Hospice was still at St. Anne’s Vicarage. Margaret worked as Hospice Accountant for seven years and was very happy during her time at the Hospice. There was also a short period when Margaret was Acting Chief Executive. Margaret is now Finance Director of a successful timber flooring company in Warrington, but has retained links and friendships with the Hospice since leaving.
She graduated from Liverpool University and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1986. Before moving to the Hospice, she worked for Ernst & Young in Liverpool, and Grant Thornton in Warrington. Margaret has lived in Warrington for 25 years and is married to Neil.They have two teenage children.

Pam Williams
Pam is a Clinical Nurse Educator in End of Life Care for the care homes in Warrington. She grew up in Penketh and began her nursing career in 1998 at Fazackerly Hospital, Liverpool. In 2001, Pam came to work in colo-rectal surgery at Warrington Hospital and then spent five years working in the Hospitals’ Intensive Care Unit before changing focus to palliative care in 2008. She is currently studying for her Masters Degree in Palliative Care. Pam is married with three daughters.