Connections Spring 2026 - Flipbook - Page 19
From DofE
to Trustee!
Our new Trustee, Lizzie Wells, joined us last November,
but her association with Phyllis Tuckwell began over ten years ago,
when she started volunteering at the Hospice for her
Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
I grew up around the corner from the Hospice,
so had heard about Phyllis Tuckwell from
a young age. We’d donate our unwanted
clothes and furniture to its shops, and take
part in Walk for the Wards.
I was 15 when I did my Bronze Duke of
Edinburgh Award. I started by helping in the
Hospice kitchen, then moved to the In-Patient
Unit (IPU). I would make teas and coffees
for patients’ relatives, and be an extra pair of
hands for any administrative jobs that needed
doing. I remember being surprised at how
positive and happy everyone there was.
They were so welcoming, it was a really
nice atmosphere to be part of. I continued
volunteering there right through to my Gold
Award. I saw the great work the charity
does, the way it brings people together,
and how it supports the community. I had
always assumed a Hospice would be for the
elderly, but it’s not just old people who need
Phyllis Tuckwell’s help.
After studying Natural Sciences at Cambridge,
I trained as an accountant in London,
after which I moved to Seattle, USA, as a
consultant for technology clients. Now I’m
back in the UK and have a bit more time, I can
volunteer again. I sit on the Board of Trustees,
and also on the Finance, Resources and
Income Generation Sub-Committees, where I
can share my knowledge of finance and largescale projects.
Phyllis Tuckwell has grown so much since
I first started volunteering here, and there’s
much more provision of care at home now.
For me, Hospice Care means enabling
people to be as comfortable as possible
in their last weeks of life, and to be well
looked after, and Phyllis Tuckwell does
exactly that. It’s great to be back and
involved again.
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