Ann-Marie is our Chief Executive. She is responsible for balancing the day-to-day management of the hospice with shaping our longer-term plans to ensure we meet the future needs of our community.
Ann-Marie is passionate about building impactful partnerships within our internal teams, across the local healthcare network, and with other local hospices, to ensure that we can continue to provide outstanding palliative and end-of-life care to the people of Maidstone, Tonbridge and surrounding villages. This is a challenging time for hospices, as we strive to balance meeting the growing demand for care with the constant struggle to secure the funds we need.
Prior to becoming our Chief Executive, Ann-Marie was our Director of Income Generation, leading fundraising, communications and retail. The success of the Shaun the Sheep art trail in Maidstone 2024 and Elmer’s Big Heart of Kent Parade 2021 are particular recent highlights which significantly boosted our income and community engagement.
Ann-Marie joined Heart of Kent Hospice in 2015 from The Children’s Society where she led the corporate, major gifts and trusts team Earlier in her career we worked as a fundraising consultant at The Management Centre, advising and supporting charity clients with fundraising strategy, capital campaign feasibilities and major donor development boards.
Ann-Marie also has valuable experience of delivering successful capital campaigns. She is currently leading on our exciting plans to relocate the hospice in Linton, future-proofing the provision of palliative and end-of-life care for local people.
Kerry Harrison joined Heart of Kent Hospice in 2015 and has been Patient Services Director and CQC Registered Manager since 2016.
Kerry is a nurse with 25 years of palliative care experience, prior to joining Heart of Kent Hospice she worked at Hospice in the Weald for nine years, latterly as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Head of Hospice Day Service and was a District Nurse prior to this.
Kerry is passionate about providing the highest quality of palliative and end of life care for patients and their families in our community. She is responsible for the overall management, leadership, and development of the multidisciplinary palliative care team, ensuring excellent standards of care.
As well as registered manager Kerry holds the responsibility of Caldicott guardianship, and with the Executive Team works closely with the ICB (Integrated Care Boad) and wider local health systems.
Georgina was appointed as Lead Consultant in July 2017. She has been a Palliative Medicine Consultant since 2008 having completed her specialist training working in hospices across the south east.
Georgina is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and has a special interest in communication skills and the importance of open, honest, compassionate communication in end-of-life care. She is also committed to research in palliative care and has been involved in several research projects and is working to establish Heart of Kent Hospice as a research-active hospice.
Kathryn is our Director Resources and Operations. She leads the organisation’s strategic financial management and oversees key operational areas, ensuring that Heart of Kent Hospice meets its financial, business, and resource objectives.
Her role encompasses finance, data, information technology, facilities, retail and other core support functions that enable the Hospice to deliver outstanding care.
Kathryn joined Heart of Kent Hospice in April 2022, following over a decade in the commercial sector with Sysco Corporation, where she held senior finance roles spanning commercial contracts, financial control, and transformation.
She qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2005, beginning her career in public practice with a focus on audit, accounts, and tax advisory services.
Outside of work, Kathryn enjoys spending time outdoors and cherishing family life as a mother to two young girls. She’s also famously known among the Executive team for her unwavering love of chocolate—an indulgence she rarely resists during the working day.
The Senior Team
The Chief Executive is responsible for the day-to-day management of the hospice. She works closely with other senior colleagues who comprise the Executive Team and meet weekly.
Chief Executive
Ann-Marie Kelly
Consultant in Palliative Medicine
Dr Georgina Parker
Patient Services Director
Kerry Harrison
Finance Director
Kathryn Dackombe
Our Patron
Geraldine Allinson OBE DL
Geraldine was born and educated in Kent and grew up in Linton near Maidstone. She now lives with her husband Rupert on the Downs not far from Lenham and has two adult children. Geraldine has spent most of her career in the Local News industry heading up the KM Media Group, representing the company and the industry at local and national level.
For many years she worked closely with fellow colleagues to guide the company through a massive transformation into a streamlined multimedia company fit for the digital era.
Geraldine is currently a Non-Executive Director for Iliffe Media Group who now own KM, an Appointments Panel Member of The Independent Press Standards Organisation, a Non-Executive Director of PA Media Group Ltd and a Non-Executive Director of Radiocentre (the industry body for commercial radio).
As a Kent Ambassador and past Deputy Lieutenant, Geraldine cares deeply about her roots and the county of Kent. As well as continuing with her career supporting good quality independent journalism, her time is also dedicated to charities and organisation which help and improve life for the people of Kent
In 2021 Geraldine was awarded Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to local media in Kent.
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is responsible and accountable for the governance of the Hospice and meets six times a year. It takes its leadership role in upholding the values of the Hospice very seriously. The Board works closely with the Executive Team.
Ann Millington OBE
Ann lives locally and was the first female Chief Fire Officer, taking charge of the Kent Fire and Rescue service in 2011 before becoming Chair of Trustees in May 2022. Ann brings a wide breadth of experience with a background in organisational development, training, HR and consultancy.
Jane Hayes
Jane lives locally and has a range of business and board experience. She spent her Executive career in the insurance industry, retiring in 2022. Jane is currently an independent Non-Executive Director for a UK listed insurance company; she chairs their Risk Committee and is a member of their Audit Committee.
Jane also holds advisory roles for a Data Company and for Lloyds of London Insurance market.
Donna Jones
Donna has had a varied career stretching from retail management to being a small business owner and has gained a wealth of knowledge in her specialist field - training and development.
After an introduction to the charitable sector in 2018, Donna became interested in construction and the vast opportunities available to young people in this industry. She established her consultancy to assist construction companies to recruit and train the next generation of workers.
Mark Kirby
Mark lives in Maidstone and has many years of experience during a 30 year career. Originally as call centre manager for personal and corporate claims assessing teams within a corporate company, Mark then settled into the design and packaging sector where he became the Sales, Commercial and Marketing Director of two blue-chip companies. He is currently a Company Director for an SME business within the design and bespoke packaging sector looking after speciality sectors such as the MoD and Aerospace.
Mark is also a Trustee/Director for an Academy Schools Trust and a Governor for a Special Foundation School.
Serena Cooper
Serena trained as a nurse and has over 40 years’ experience in healthcare both in hospital and community settings. Serena was a manager, lecturer and latterly Clinical Dean at King’s College London University. In 2009 joined a Kent Hospice initially as Head of Education and latterly as a Specialist Palliative Care Community Nurse.
Nick Jegard
Nick trained at King’s College and spent his early career in London in several posts including palliative care. He is a local GP Partner and lead for End of Life Care at his practice.
Rachel Parris
Rachel is a local resident and is currently Chair of the West Kent ICP Local Care Board. She has extensive commissioning, clinical and leadership skills to support the Hospice board.
Hugh Smith
Hugh lives in Lamberhurst, with roots in the Scottish Borders. Hugh’s career has been in HR and sits as a lay member on the Employment Tribunal. Hugh has been a Trustee for a number of charities, a school governor and an independent director of several organisations in the higher education field.
Sarah Pain
A Maidstone resident since 1974, Sarah worked for the KM Group, then as a Police Officer and most recently as a Ceremonies Officer for K.C.C. Until recently she was heavily involved in local fundraising for a national charity, and now volunteers at two HOKH shops. As a HOKH Trustee, she brings varied experience, enthusiasm and dedication to the role.
Emma Price
Emma is an Aylesford resident and currently a senior manager at Deloitte, previously working as a Programme Manager at the CQC. Emma specialises in project delivery for large-scale transformation programmes.
Stephen Thompson
Stephen is a retired Investment Manager. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant with strategic, finance and business skills. Stephen’s motivation is to support the Hospice as a local healthcare charity.
Khaled Kassem-Toufic
Khaled is local to the Hospice and has enjoyed careers in IT and within NHS where he was responsible for commissioning and performance, managing healthcare providers for the elderly and the diabetes populations of our local communities.
Khaled served as a magistrate for 11 years and also as a Parish Councillor. His hobbies are playing chess, gardening and reading.
Our Former Patron
We pay tribute to our beloved Patron, Marianna Viscountess Monckton of Brenchley
Lady Monckton was a passionate and dedicated supporter of our Hospice and we are forever grateful for her time, energy, friendship and wise counsel, given over so many years.
Shortly before our Hospice building was opened Lady Monckton was asked to be our Patron and she had been so ever since. Over the years and decades, she has been extremely generous, not only with the amount of time and support she has given to the Hospice, its patients, colleagues and volunteers but also with the money she has raised through hosting events, introducing us to her friends and from charitable trusts.
Every Christmas Day without fail Lady Monckton would come into the Hospice and give out homemade mince pies and throughout the year she would often pop into the Hospice, have lunch in the café and wander around visiting patients and listening to their stories.
There are so many happy memories and outstanding events from her time as our Patron. From planning our official opening in 1992 in which she was successful in inviting Diana, Princess of Wales to visit and officially open the Hospice, to attending the annual Lady Monckton Awards to pay tribute to our colleagues and volunteers for their long service and loyalty.
Spending time in Lady Monckton’s company was endlessly fascinating. She had a remarkable and interesting life with many tales to tell, some of which went back to her husband’s father, Sir Walter Monckton, who was an adviser to Churchill and friend and legal adviser to Edward VIII.
Working with us
Interested in your next care career move or know someone who is?
If you want your talents, energy and expertise to make a measurable difference and you share our passion to work towards ensuring that every person facing terminal illness, and those experiencing loss and bereavement are supported in their communities, apply today.
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