THE chief executive of Acorns Children's Hospice will step down after ten years at the helm.

David Strudley will leave the charity, which runs hospices helping life-limited youngsters in Worcester, Selly Oak and Walsall, towards the end of this year.

The hunt for his successor is already underway.

Mr Strudley said: "After ten challenging and rewarding years with our wonderful charity, I feel the time is right to hand over the reins to someone else so that the charity can take a fresh look and prepare itself for the next ten years.

"I feel proud and privileged to have worked with such outstanding people, who have achieved so much, often with only limited resources.

"I want to pay tribute to every member of staff and to all the volunteers who together form the greatest workforce I have ever had the good fortune to lead.”

Since joining the organisation in 2006, Mr Strudley has led it through significant changes and challenging times including the financial crash of 2008.

In the last decade the number of children being cared for by Acorns has almost doubled and the charity’s vision is to care for 1,000 children by 2020 and to provide support to more than 1,350 families including those who are bereaved.

In Worcester, the charity has a hospice in Bath Road.

Mr Strudley made special mention of the support the charity had received from the community across the West Midlands and Three Counties, which he said had enabled the charity to achieve “remarkable outcomes”.

He added: “Although I’m stepping down, my love and devotion for life limited children and their families will never cease.”

David Butcher, chair of the Trustees, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank David for his unswerving commitment to Acorns, its children and their families.

“The organisation and those it supports have undoubtedly benefited immeasurably from his dedication and skilful leadership through some very testing times.

“On behalf of the board of trustees I would like to thank him for all he has achieved and wish him the very best for the future.”

Mr Strudley will continue with his coaching and mentoring activities and intends to continue to chair the Together for Short Lives UK Transition Taskforce as it enters its third full year of operations.

He is also conducting research to write a book on children’s hospices.