Veterans’ charity, Royal Star & Garter, has appointed Shirley Hall as its new Director of Care & Wellbeing.

The Registered Nurse comes with a wealth of experience in clinical governance and leadership, predominantly in the charity sector. She joined at the beginning of December.

She replaces former Director of Care Pauline Shaw, who left Royal Star & Garter after 22 years with the charity.

Royal Star & Garter provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia, with Homes in Solihull, Surbiton and High Wycombe.

Shirley has already spent time in the Homes, and said: “Royal Star & Garter has a fantastic reputation for providing care which is high quality, person-centred, pioneering and innovative – all things I am passionate about. Now that I’ve spent time in each of the three Homes, I can see that this reputation is well-deserved. The Homes are incredible, it feels like we’re walking into the residents’ own home. The staff are lovely, they really know the residents. The care feels so personal. It’s an honour to be part of a team doing such great things for our Armed Forces community.”

Shirley qualified as a Nurse in 1987, and worked for 10 years in the NHS, specialising in cardiology care and setting up rehabilitation services for patients after heart attacks and surgery. She then joined the British Heart Foundation, where she developed its pioneering ‘Hearty Lives’ programme, which aimed to address obesity and inequalities for younger people. She has gone on to hold a variety of senior roles at organisations including the Retirement Villages Group and The ExtraCare Charitable Trust. Shirley has also worked closely with the national Gold Standards Framework, the UK’s leading training provider for generalist frontline staff in caring for people in the last years of life.

She will put her experience of developing new services to good use at Royal Star & Garter. The charity is widening its reach into the community with the launch of Telephone Friendship Service and Lunch Clubs, while Day Care is returning to its Homes for the first time since the pandemic. Royal Star & Garter is also examining ways in which it can support younger veterans living with disabilities.

‘The Homes are great and the staff are amazing’

Shirley added: “My passion is innovation and new services, and I’ll bring everything I’ve learned from my previous jobs to Royal Star & Garter. The Homes are great and the staff are amazing, and I was really attracted by how technology is embraced within the care. I’m really excited to look at what we can do for more veterans and younger veterans, and to the challenges ahead.”

Royal Star & Garter’s Chief Executive Andy Cole said: “We’re delighted to welcome Shirley to Royal Star & Garter. She has a wealth of experience, real passion, and a proven track record of delivering in the charity and care sectors. She joins at an exciting time, as we expand our services to reach even more of the Armed Forces community. I look forward to working with Shirley and ensuring our renowned, high-quality care improves even further.”

Royal Star & Garter is welcoming new residents. For more information on this, or to work for the charity, go to www.starandgarter.org