Celebrating Trustees Week - Amanda Casson-Webb

This Trustees’ Week (3rd to 7th November) Amanda Casson-Webb, reflects on her role as a trustee at Saint Francis Hospice and why she is passionate about using her experience in the charity sector, and her life, to help ensure hospice care is inclusive and accessible to everyone in our community.

Becoming a trustee at Saint Francis Hospice has been an honour. I’m proud to be part of a team that’s working so hard to ensure that everyone in our community can receive the care they deserve, in a way that’s centred around them.

Palliative and end-of-life care is something that touches every one of us. It’s about more than just medical support – it’s about dignity, compassion, and ensuring that people feel seen, understood, and respected during the most vulnerable moments of their lives.

Having lived in Havering for most of my life, I've always known and admired Saint Francis Hospice so when the opportunity arose to become a trustee, it felt like the right time and the right place to give something back.

I’m a CODA – a Child of Deaf Adults – and my first language is British Sign Language (BSL). I’ve been a qualified BSL interpreter since 2001 and spent 15 years at the Royal Association for Deaf people, eventually becoming Joint Chief Executive. I left in 2023 and now work as a freelance interpreter and charity consultant.

My entire career has been in and around the charity sector, so I’ve always valued the role of volunteers – especially trustees. I wanted to use the skills I’ve developed in PR, marketing, income generation and leadership to support a cause that matters deeply to our community. Saint Francis Hospice, with its values of kindness, authenticity and compassion, felt like the perfect fit.

In the year I’ve been a trustee, I’ve been genuinely impressed by the hospice’s commitment to making care accessible. As someone who grew up in the Deaf Community, I was amazed by how many staff have learned BSL. That kind of inclusion matters – it’s how we ensure that care is not just available, but truly accessible to all.

I hope to help Saint Francis Hospice become even more representative of the communities it serves. I’d love to see us create content in BSL, so deaf people can better understand the incredible support available to them. I’m also looking forward to continuing to keep learning, contributing, and making a difference.