CHILDREN'S hospice Ty Hafan has appointed a new chief executive officer to steer the charity as it continues to care for life-limited children and their families from across Wales.

With more than 20 years’ experience in the charity sector, Jonathan O’Shea joins Ty Hafan from St John’s Hospital, an 840-year-old charity that provides almshouse accommodation, individual and community grants to disadvantaged people in Bath.

During his time at St John’s, the charity modernised its almshouses in the city center, increased grant giving from £170,000 to £700,000 per annum and introduced a £4 million social impact investment programme.

Jonathan is a graduate of Bangor University and a certified accountant. He is a former trustee of Julian House in Bath and of St Vincent’s in Bristol, both of which provide help and support for the homeless. Prior to his role at St John’s Hospital, Jonathan was director of finance for elderly advice and support charity, Independent Age.

Speaking of his new appointment, Jonathan said: “I am honoured to be joining such a passionate organisation. I’ve seen the positive results the charity has achieved in Wales and I cannot wait to play my part.

“With the help of an amazingly dedicated team and enthusiastic volunteers, I aim to ensure we continue to provide a high-quality service and hope that we will exceed the expectations of the children and families in our care. There is a clear vision for Ty Hafan that will see us expand our offering and an ambitious plan to extend our fundraising and commercial capabilities to ensure we are able to finance the future provision of paediatric palliative care in Wales.”

Jonathan will use his extensive knowledge and experience to ensure Ty Hafan continues to fulfil its mission to deliver the highest standard of free care and support to the families of life-limited children in Wales.

Chairperson of Ty Hafan, Maria Timon Samra, said: “I am delighted to welcome Jonathan to our team. It is an exciting time at Ty Hafan and I am confident the charity will go from strength-to-strength under his leadership. Jonathan inherits a professional, committed and highly experienced team and working with them will lead innovation and further development.

“Ty Hafan is such a rewarding charity to be a part of. You get to see first-hand how the children and families benefit and witness how much they derive from the services and activities available to them.”

It costs £3.7m a year to maintain Ty Hafan’s state-of-the-art facilities at Sully and support services to families in the community. For information on our care services or to make a donation please visit www.tyhafan.org