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 New Chairman at the helm of the hospice 

North Devon Hospice has said a fond farewell to a man who has been instrumental in the success of the organisation. Ron Ley is retiring from the hospice board after 15 years, having also been Chairman for the last three years. He is succeeded as Chair of the Trustees by Dr John Womersley, a well-known local GP in Ilfracombe and Woolacombe.

Ron became Chairman just after the hospice's largest ever expansion, when the bedded unit was opened in 2005. This doubled the amount of staff needed at Deer Park and meant that 24/7 hospice care was available for the first time in North Devon. "When an organisation expands as rapidly as we did in 2005, you expect things to be pretty hard going," he said. "But the commitment and passion of our staff and volunteers meant we handled the change extremely well. The bedded unit is now such as important part of health care in North Devon, it seems odd to imagine life without it."

Dr John Womersley says he feels "immensely privileged" to be given the opportunity to be the new Chair of the Trustees. "I am honoured to be given the chance to represent this amazing charity as Chairman," he said. "I have been a trustee for four years now and have seen first hand the incredible work the hospice staff and volunteers do. If I can help their work in my role as Chairman then I will be proud to do so."