East Cheshire Hospice has appointed a new Income Generation Director.
Rachel Allcock from Broken Cross, who has previously been Marketing Manager at the Hospice, steps into the role which was previously held by Karyn Johnson, the new Hospice Director.
Rachel,43, joined the Hospice in 2015. She was inspired to apply for the role following the death of her mother, Megan Fyles, after a short illness.
“My mum spent her last days in a hospice in Merseyside and I saw at first-hand the amazing work that goes on there,” says Rachel. “After months of treatment by doctors that just wasn’t working, it was such an overwhelming relief for her and the family to come to a place which concentrated on making her last weeks as comfortable and fulfilling as possible.
“You never truly understand the work of a Hospice until you experience it first hand.”
Just weeks after her mother’s death, Rachel took up her job at East Cheshire Hospice, moving from Peaks and Plains Housing Association where she had been for more than seven years. The role of a central Marketing Manager was a new one for the Hospice but, with less than 20% of funding coming from Government, the need to communicate the Hospice message was ever constant.
Her first task was the re-branding of the Hospice logo and website, and to develop the social media presence of the Hospice which has greatly expanded.
“Social media has grown from just being a marketing side-line to being the main way we reach our audience,” says Rachel. “Our Facebook site been incredibly important in this our 30th anniversary year.”
In her new role, Rachel will head up both the fundraising and commercial teams which includes the three Hospice charity shops.
At a time of expansion of the Hospice services into the community, Rachel anticipates challenging times ahead.
“Our Hospice @Home service has been phenomenally successful and, as we plan to extend more services into the community, there will be a continual need to raise money,” Rachel says. “We are still in times of austerity and people have less cash to give, yet our services will continue to be in demand.
“But we have a brilliant and dedicated fundraising team and my job will be to help them do what they do best,” she says.
