THE departing Ardgowan Hospice chief executive says she will miss the 'kind-hearted community' she has become part of as she moves onto a new role in England.

Linda McEnhill joined the local hospice in March 2018 and brought with her decades of experience gained across Scotland and England as a practitioner, manager, director and lecturer in palliative care.

She is now moving on to the role of CEO at St Nicolas Hospice in Suffolk, where had her first senior role 20 years ago.

Linda told the Tele: "I wasn't looking for a new role but this came up.

"It's very different to Ardgowan Hospice, but it will come as a new challenge.

"I will miss Ardgowan very much.

"There is nowhere quite like here and I will never find another place like it."

Linda will officially depart her role in December and says she is confident she is leaving the hospice in the capable hands of staff and volunteers.

Linda, who lives in Gourock, said: "I have witnessed time and time again just how amazing the staff are and how they go above and beyond for the community.

"I was here only a month when I watched a really tragic event unfold involving a very young girl and every member of staff played a part in making her and her family feel comfortable.

"It was seeing the efforts of the team that made me realise I was working with amazing people.

"They make me very proud and I will certainly miss them all."

During Linda's time at the helm she has helped introduce various new services - including The Willow Care Service and Kinship Care - and also started the hospice's Memory Tree.

She says she 'considers herself lucky' to have worked within a community where the hospice is of such central importance.

Linda, who lives with husband Peter, told the Telegraph: "The hospice is very much at the heart of the community.

"I have never known somewhere like this to be so embedded in the area.

"The community always get behind all that we do and this has truly been the most stimulating job I have ever had.

"With so much sadness comes joy and there is nowhere quite like Ardgowan Hospice for bringing people together.

"I'm very grateful to all of our supporters who continue to help us do what we do in the community."