Celebrating International Women's Day

Meet Lesley Fellows, our Director of Care and Family Services. For more than 20 years, she’s helped shape Claire House into the specialist children’s hospice it is today.

“I’ve always cared about developing a service that reflects what families need,” Lesley says. “We’ve spent two decades becoming a specialist palliative care organisation, and I wanted to help keep us on that path.”

In 2007, Lesley created what was then Hospice to Home, delivering the service herself so families could receive care where they needed it most. Today, that spark has grown into a full multidisciplinary team offering home‑based respite, palliative and end‑of‑life care, and wellbeing support across the region.

She also led our intensive care partnership work, breaking down barriers between intensive and palliative care, opening new doors for families who need extra support.

Now, as Claire House plans for a second full hospice in Liverpool, Lesley is looking to the future. “It’s massively exciting,” she says. “Merseyside families urgently need specialist care. This next phase is about asking where we can make the biggest difference, while protecting the high-quality care we provide in the Wirral and across our communities.”

Lesley’s work has shaped her personally, too. “It’s a privilege to be with families when their child dies. It changes your perspective. You go home and hug your children a bit tighter.

“As staff, we have a lot of laughter, even in the hardest circumstances. Talking, reflecting, and looking after each other means you’re able to give the next child the same care you gave the last.”

Looking ahead, Lesley says: “[A full Liverpool hospice] will mean more children living their best life for as long as they can. More families getting the support they need. More moments of joy and stability when everything else feels uncertain.”

Today, we want to thank all the incredible women across Claire House who make a difference every single day.

💙 £29 could fund an hour of specialist nursing care.