St Michaels Hospice has new board members

Clifford Wallis from Sedlescombe and Stuart Earl, a former mayor from Bexhill, were co-opted onto the Governing Board of St Michael's Hospice on the day the charity held its Annual General Meeting on December 11.

Mr Wallis has lived in Sedlescombe for 20 years, worked in the City for three decades, and was latterly, an executive director of S.G. Warburg Dillon Read.

Since stepping down from the City in 1999, he has been in demand as a financial and legal consultant but has devoted much of his time to charitable work, in particular, six years involvement with St Michael's Hospice.

For five years he has been chairman of the St Michael's Development Trust where he oversaw the introduction of the successful Patrons' Scheme.

The trust contributed around 400,000 to St Michael's during this period which included raising finance for an enlarged Day Therapy Centre.

Mr Earl was born and educated in Bexhill and has been involved in the community life of Bexhill for most of his adult life.

He retired from the family baking business in 2001 after 22 years at the helm.

He became mayor of Bexhill in 2004 but resigned from local politics in 2006 and subsequently became involved with several local organisations as chairman of the 2nd Bexhill Scout group, chairman of the Bexhill Hospital League of Friends and chairman of the Little Common Business Association.

Mr Earl is currently chairman of a food supply company called BAKO London South East.

Both replace two retiring directors, namely Robert Beecroft and Jim Condon.

Julian Avery, chairman of St Michael's Hospice, said: "I want to pay tribute to the work of Robert Beecroft and Jim Condon who, respectively, after eight years and six years of service are retiring.

"I am truly delighted to welcome Clifford Wallis and Stuart Earl as our newly co-opted directors. They are both active in the community and rooted in the locality.

"Their knowledge and experience will, I know, add real value to the Board at what is undoubtedly an unprecedented period of economic turmoil and a challenging time for our charity."