When Diane walked into our Gainsborough Hospice for the first time 27 years ago, she didn’t know what a hospice was, let alone realise she would live and breathe St Barnabas from that day onwards.
After facing a five-strong interview panel for a one-day-a-week role in the kitchen, a young and bold Diane joined the St Barnabas team as a cook in 1996. One day a week soon turned into two. And it wasn’t long before she added a third.
When head chef and Diane’s former college lecturer Mr Percy retired, Diane stepped into his shoes, catering for people attending daycare in Lincoln. And when the daycare service outgrew the rented rooms at St John’s Hospital in Bracebridge Heath and opened at Hawthorne Road in Lincoln, Diane took on her dream job.
Being more involved with patients was a real driver for Diane. Giving people a choice about what they ate was her priority. She’d often be found chatting to patients about their week, listening to their worries and making sure they were looking forward to whatever was on the menu that day. She often heard about the aftereffects of various foods too – beetroot soup being a popular one!
In 2007, Diane went from making cakes to making big decisions when she became our Hotel Services Manager and most recently, Health and Safety Manager. Today Diane’s driving force is making sure patients receive the right service. We can’t do our best unless our team is fit and healthy, which relies on working safely. And for that, we rely on Diane.
In her own words…
“As an employer, the Hospice has been invaluable in my growth. And the team has gotten me through challenging times too, empowering me to survive and grow. Having a caring, empathetic group of people around me is wonderful. But being able to give something back to patients and their families is just the best feeling in the world.”
To see all 40 Faces and their stories, please visit: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/40faces