Bob Bushell has served Avante Care & Support for over 26 years, has taken the decision to step down from his role as Patron on 22 September. Bob is highly thought of and respected throughout the organisation, having dedicated his time supporting Avante Care & Support in different ways to help drive the organisation successfully to where it is today.
Bob Bushell joined Avante Care & Support’s Board of Trustees in March 1994 when the organisation was then known as Kent Community Housing Trust. Bob joined Avante having spent all his working life in the transport industry, but his experience within the Trade Union movement and how to deal with sickness, employment contracts, and disciplinary procedures were the skills the Board were looking for to help balance the expertise across the Board. Bob soon learnt about the care industry and spent a lot of his time visiting the care homes to develop his knowledge on health and social care.
Since his time at Avante Bob has seen many changes during his 26 years’ service including the rebrand of the organisation in 2009, the construction of three new care homes in Kent, Bexley and Greenwich, and the Home Care and Wellbeing Support service successfully expand across Bexley and Kent. When Bob was asked to be Patron of Avante Care & Support in 2015, he commented “I am honoured and humbled by the offer and to follow in the steps of my predecessor Lady Northbourne is indeed a privilege. I was born and have lived the past 68 years in Faversham, and it is an honour that a local lad will continue to serve such a worthwhile Charity.”
Bob has given a tremendous amount of his time to Avante Care & Support and has always been an active member attending the many events held across the care services over the years. Bob knew the importance of staff recognition and was always keen to be involved with staff award ceremonies such as the Achievement awards, Stars awards and more recently the Sparkle awards in October last year. As well as presenting staff with awards, Bob would be one of the first to personally thank and commend staff for their hard work and dedication at Avante. Bob Bushell commented, “I wish all Head Office staff, the Managers and staff of our Care Homes along with all Home Care and Wellbeing Support staff all the very best and good luck for the future in these uncertain times. Finally I wish the Chair, and the Board of Trustees along with the Executive Management Team all the very best in their quest to ensure Avante continues forward from the strong base it has today.”
Outside of Avante Care & Support Bob loves every kind of sport, especially Kent Cricket in the summer, and football in the winter and he has been a keen Arsenal supporter since the age of 10. Bob has a love of trains and is a member of the Faversham Model Railway Club which he attends weekly.
Thank you Bob for dedicating your time over the past 26 years to Avante Care & Support. You have been a pleasure to work with and you will be greatly missed by the Board of Trustees and staff across the organisation.
