Her Majesty The Queen talking to Sally (Director of Nursing & Care) and Charlotte (Consultant Paediatrician).
On Wednesday 30th April, we were invited to a Reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by Their Majesties The King and The Queen, our Patron, to celebrate community-based initiatives raising awareness about cancer and supporting those living with cancer.
Four of our clinical staff at Helen & Douglas House were nominated to attend due to their significant contributions to cancer care. Here is why they were nominated:
Meet Sally, our Director of Nursing & Care
Sally has worked in the adult and children’s palliative care sector for 18 years. She has worked for many charitable organisations in that time offering care and strategic direction for the patients and families with cancer; including Maggies Cancer Care Centre, Sue Ryder and Macmillan. She is now Director of Nursing & Care at Helen & Douglas House. Sally has been involved in and has won several awards for her care and delivery of care to people living with and dying from cancer.
Sally said: “It was an incredible honour to be invited by Their Majesties The King and The Queen to Buckingham Palace. The event was a truly memorable occasion and a wonderful recognition of the vital work hospices do across the country. On behalf of everyone at Helen & Douglas House, I want to say how much it meant to be part of such a special day. It was a moment of pride and reflection for myself and all our dedicated staff and volunteers, whose compassion and commitment make a real difference to the lives of the children and families we support.”
Charlotte (Consultant Paediatrician), Stacey (Clinical Lead), Sally (Director of Nursing & Care) and Rhian (Registered Nurse) smiling outside Buckingham Palace.
Meet Stacey, our Clinical Lead
Stacey is a clinical lead at Helen & Douglas House who is involved in the support of families and children and young people who are living with or dying from cancer. She provides the leadership to the team and ensures the resilience and training of the staff to deliver the highest standard of care.
Stacey said: “It was an honour to attend the reception on behalf of Helen & Douglas House and to meet Their Majesties The King and The Queen. It was also very special to meet some of the other people who attended, all of whom had very moving stories behind their support of cancer charities. It really brought home why the work we do at Helen & Douglas House is so important”
Charlotte (Consultant Paediatrician), Sally (Director of Nursing & Care), Stacey (Clinical Lead) and Rhian (Registered Nurse) smiling outside Buckingham Palace.
Meet Charlotte, our Consultant Paediatrician
Charlotte was nominated as our education lead. Her work empowers colleagues throughout the region to offer world class palliative care to children with cancer, across the whole south of England.
Charlotte said: “It was an honour to attend on behalf of Helen & Douglas House. The Queen referred to our lovely garden, and our children and families helping with her Christmas tree at Clarence House.”
Her Majesty The Queen talking to Charlotte (Consultant Paediatrician),Stacey (Clinical Lead) and Rhian (Registered Nurse).
Meet Rhian, one our Registered Nurses
Rhian was nominated by her colleagues for outstanding care and commitment to staff, children and the families. She is often involved in the care of children and families during and post treatment and end of life with cancer both in the hospice and in her other roles as a children’s nurse.
Rhian said: “Being invited to Buckingham Palace and meeting Their Majesties was an unforgettable honour—but what really moved me was meeting fellow volunteers, fundraisers, cancer survivors and healthcare workers, from across the country, each carrying stories of love, loss, and resilience. Their dedication has led them to go on and raise incredible support for their chosen charities. Hearing their stories amidst such grandeur was profoundly humbling and deeply poignant.”
Rhian (Registered Nurse), Charlotte (Consultant Paediatrician) and Stacey (Clinical Lead) smiling outside Buckingham Palace.
It was a wonderful day
We are incredibly grateful to have been invited to this special reception and to be part of an organisation dedicated to supporting cancer care.