Hold the Press! PR director Jane makes time to volunteer for Wirral Hospice St John’s

The world of PR is a busy one. Clients to support, celebrities to organise, deadlines to meet and that’s just before breakfast!

Our volunteer receptionist, Jane Woodhead, takes it all in her stride.

When we meet she is making sure a campaign that was about to break the next day, with press already briefed, is pulled (stopped in its tracks). Hours of work have gone into planning and executing the campaign but a last-minute hitch means it can’t happen. A fix is being found in the near future but, one hundred and forty three media outlets have had to be alerted and asked not to run the piece just yet. Phew!

Of course, in 17 years as a PR professional, rising to UK consumer PR director at Manchester based, influential, after a successful career in journalism at the Warrington Guardian and the Liverpool Echo, Jane has been involved in hundreds of successful PR campaigns.

Brands you’ll know, like SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, The National Lottery, Chester Racecourse and Liverpool ONE are all part of the mix of clients she works with, so there’s a lot to do.

It is absolutely brilliant therefore that Jane can find time to volunteer for Wirral Hospice St John’s.

Jane’s a bank volunteer. That is, with enough notice, she is a reserve for when a regular volunteer might have booked a holiday (they are allowed, HaHa!) and she can schedule it around her day job.

She simply loves the hospice.

Her affinity took more shape when, initially as a fascinated motorist driving by, to and from home in Neston, observing the lights in the trees around Christmas time for Light up a Life.

 On investigating, she sponsored lights in memory of her own mum and dad, Eva and Les, and has been to the lights switch-on service many times over the years.

“Although mum and dad did not die in the hospice I find it a really meaningful way to remember them. It’s a beautiful evening.

My dad died on 19^th December so It’s always a time filled with bittersweet memories.

Wherever I go I always feel mum and dad with me.”

Dad, Les, was a rugby league writer and former deputy editor of the Liverpool Echo who died in 1998 of leukaemia which he’d lived with for several years and mum, Eva, passed away in a care home some years later.

Only child, Jane, became immersed in a quest to raise funds for Leukaemia research and her desire turned into sheer determination which saw her complete two London Marathons and a New York Marathon before turning to Triathlon.

This is impressive, of course, and if you saw Jane sitting on reception with her professional, welcoming manner and always stylishly dressed you couldn’t guess where her resolve has taken her since.

You see, she has competed as an amateur for GB in the sport of… bodybuilding!

Yes, after becoming the British Bikini Champion in the over 50s category at the UK Ultimate Physiques British Championships in 2023 (wait, what?), Jane was picked to represent GB in the over-45’s section of the World Amateur Body Building Association (WABBA) Mr and Mrs Universe in Venice in November last year. Incredible!

It was a massively disciplined journey, preparing protein filled meals and planning training around life and work, but once Jane had set her mind to it, with the guidance of some inspirational coaches she became relentless.

Although she didn’t win in Venice it was a gargantuan effort to make it in the first place and now, Jane, still looking after herself, is giving her body a rest from competition.

Now we see her, on standby and whenever she can make it, extending a warm greeting to people in our main reception area. Jane enthuses,

“The hospice is such an incredibly uplifting place. Everybody from the staff, in all departments, to my volunteer colleagues are so helpful and friendly.

I think it’s so important to give back to the services that support our families and communities in challenging circumstances.

Every time I leave after a shift I have such a warm feeling in my heart.”

We’re lucky to have you as part of our volunteering family, Jane. Thank you so much for your precious time.

If you’d like to volunteer at the hospice or in your community at one of our charity shops follow the links at www.wirralhospice.org/volunteering or email volunteering@wirralhospice.org or call 0151 334 2778 and ask for volunteer services