New Year Honours 2024: British Empire Medal for Stathern hospice founder

Chris Gatfield said setting up Dove Cottage had been her "passion in life"

A hospice founder who has helped thousands of families in Leicestershire and Rutland is being recognised in the New Year Honours list.

Chris Gatfield, who set up Dove Cottage Day Hospice in Stathern in 1996, has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to terminally ill people.

The 70-year-old's charity cares for patients with incurable diseases and supports their loved ones.

She has thanked all the people who helped her over the years.

Mrs Gatfield, from Melton, said she felt compelled to set up a hospice of her own after first volunteering at one 29 years ago.

She began to lobby local groups and the public to raise funds, while recruiting and training scores of volunteers.

Dove Cottage now looks after 70 people each week

After 18 months, she was able to open the doors of Dove Cottage to provide respite care to help families struggling to look after dying relatives at home.

"It became my passion in life to set up Dove Cottage and it took much hard work but none of what we have today would have been possible without the help of hundreds of people," Mrs Gatfield said.

"I would like to dedicate this honour to all the supporters, all the volunteers, the patients and their families but also the national hospice movement which does do much good across the country."

Dove Cottage continued to expand and now has more than 250 volunteers and employs more than 40 people.

Mrs Gatfield added: "When we started it was a very small operation. We saw eight people a week but now that's up to 70 a week."

Others honoured

Honours have also been given to people in Leicestershire for numerous other contributions to society.

They include Henry Lillystone, from Leicester, who is fixture secretary for the Leicestershire Foxes Sunday League and has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to youth football.

James McLean, from Cosby, deputy chief nurse of Health Education England, was also appointed MBE for services to nursing.

The chancellor of the University of Leicester Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock becomes a DBE For services to science education and to diversity.

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock has also been recognised in the New Year Honours List