Our Macmillan centre at CRH has a new plaque in memory of Jayne Garforth.
It is a full biography about our former nurse who died from breast cancer in 1997 and coincides with the opening of our newly refubished inf centre.
We have the original plaque from when the centre was first opened and then we contacted Jayne's daughter Sarah to give us some additional history about her mother which we have had printed and framed. This is now displayed within the quiet room of the newly-refurbished centre.
This is the text in full.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jayne Garforth was born in Swansea and brought up in Mumbles, on the Gower Coast – just a few miles outside the city.
She studied to A-level standard at Bishop Gore School and left there to train to become a nurse at The University Hospital of Wales, in nearby Cardiff. On qualifying as a State Registered Nurse she moved to Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff, to study Psychiatric Nursing: Qualifying RMN at the end of the Training.
She met her future husband, David, who was holidaying in Cardiff at this time and subsequently moved to Halifax; commencing work at the Psychiatric Unit, based in the General Hospital. She left there and trained to be a District Nurse at, what is now, Huddersfield University. Qualifying, (NDN Cert) in May 1983.
She initially worked as District Nurse from the Laura Mitchell Health Centre, then St John’s Medical Centre and subsequently the Brighouse Medical Centre.
Whilst working as a District Nurse she undertook various other courses which enabled her contribution to other areas of work, such as palliative care.
In 1990 she was appointed as the Community Marie Curie nurse and continued to work for the Calderdale Health care Trust. Additionally, she undertook occasional work at Overgate Hospital, Elland.
Her daughter, Sarah was born in 1985 and Jayne found herself undertaking various voluntary activities associated with her as she grew up such as play groups, school assistant, PTA etc. Additionally, she was keen pianist and was organist at All Saints Church, Skircoat. She joined and sang with the Halifax Choral Society, form shortly after moving to Halifax.
She also found time to raise funds for various local and national charities.
Jayne was diagnosed with breast cancer in the 1980s and was successfully treated at the time. There were reoccurrences over the years until she sadly died in 1997.
Because of her close involvement with the local community and her Marie Curie and Macmillan work in particular, it was thought appropriate that the proposed Support Centre based at the then Halifax General, be named in her honour. On October 13, 1997, the Jayne Garforth Support Centre was formally opened by Yvonne Moores, the Chief Nurse for England, in the presence of the Halifax Mayor and Jayne’s family.