Introducing our new CEO

18th December, 2023

Let Me Introduce Myself…

I am Rob Jones and it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to become the new Chief Executive Officer at Les Bourgs Hospice. I am thrilled with the prospect of serving such a well-loved charity, as well as our Island community.

My first job is to pay tribute to the founders, the board and to Jo Boyd for the amazing job she has done navigating the Hospice through extremely challenging times since 2006. We have a beautiful, purpose-built home thanks to her leadership and project management, an incredible nursing team and many wonderful volunteers who oil the wheels and make the hospice the success it is today.

I am very fortunate that Jo agreed to a three-month handover period with me which has led to a smooth transition, and I am extremely optimistic about the future of the hospice as we continue to work closely with other health providers and charities.

We are very lucky to have such a resilient clinical team in terms of nursing leadership and the board. My job will be to support the Head of Nursing and their team which is a familiar role for me having experienced this at another hospice.

But the future won’t be without its own challenges. The current cost-of-living crisis means our costs have increased significantly. This, along with other Guernsey charities, has also impacted on our ability to raise much-needed funds as everyone finds it harder to make ends meet. Thankfully, we have some very creative people who come up with fantastic fundraising ideas and many supporters in the community who love to get involved. Long may it continue!

The other challenge for the hospice will be the island’s ageing population and the rise more generally in more complex health conditions. We expect that there will be an even greater requirement for the services we provide in the years to come. Our aim is to evolve and continue to provide the very best care possible for all our patients and their families and we are looking to recruit more nurses to join our committed workforce.

For me, like a lot of people who are committed to Les Bourgs, it’s a vocation that comes from personal experience. I also bring my own experience of working in the charitable sector over many years, and in particular running Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice in Wales.  

I know Guernsey well having moved here in 1998 and staying here for seven great years before moving back to Wales for family reasons. It was one of the best times of my life, so I am extremely happy to come back and be part of the community again.

I look forward to updating you on how we are getting on in future newsletters. All it leaves me to do is wish you a happy and healthy new year.

Rob Jones