Leading BBC journalist Nick Robinson has made a personal appeal to business leaders to continue to support East Cheshire Hospice.
The Macclesfield-born presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme has first-hand experience of the charity’s work.
His late father Robbie was cared for by the Hospice and his mother Evelyn was among the audience for his keynote speech at the Hospice’s annual Business Briefing at Alderley Park.
Robinson said:Â “The Hospice is a place of sanctuary, welcome and re-assurance. It’s also a place that makes those last few days tolerable, manageable and removes all the other anxieties there can be when somebody comes to the end of their life.”
His entertaining talk, entitled ‘The New Chaos’, gave an insight into his career covering politics, including Brexit. He was the BBC’s chief political correspondent for 10 years.
He added: Â “I’m nervous because my mother’s here. When I was on the telly the test for my piece would be the ‘my mum’ test. Â It meant does this make sense to someone who doesn’t follow everything incredibly carefully?”
Robinson, who was treated successfully for lung cancer in 2015, said: “What angers me about politics and the New Chaos over the last three years, is we’ve spent a lot of time insulting each other and being angry with each other and taken our eye off the ball of the things that really matter and change people’s lives.”
More than 150 business leaders were urged to support the charity’s Hospice @Home service.
He said: “You’re being asked today to help make the end of people’s lives better. What’s really exciting is it isn’t just in the Hospice, but increasingly will be in people’s homes.
“It’ll mean the experience of the last few days is as tolerable as possible and that’s a great cause to be involved in.”
Other speakers included Dr Kath Mackay, Managing Director of Alderley Park; Hospice @Home Ambassador Chair Dr Simon Hayward; and the Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire David Briggs MBE KStJ, President of East Cheshire Hospice.
Hospice Director Karyn Johnston said: “We’re extremely grateful to Nick for giving up his time during yet another busy political week and all our other speakers and members of the business community who attended.
“We’re fortunate to enjoy wonderful support from the corporate community which is vital to our future. Â We’d also like to thank our friends at Alderley Park for hosting our third Business Briefing.”