Robin died in August age 99. His unwavering support throughout the history of the hospice helped thousands of people from across north east Essex to have quality of life while facing their most vulnerable time. He additionally financed the construction of two well-used buildings in the grounds of the hospice, the Joan Tomkins Centre and the Learning and Development Centre, which continue to serve people in the wider community who need our support.

“I was introduced to her but her main object was to meet the people at the day centre. They'd done little gifts for her, poetry, and she would sit down beside them and read the poetry. I was delighted to see this. It gave me a warm feeling and I thought, I have done someone a bit of good for a change.”

A few years later, Mr Tomkins kindly financed an extension to the day centre, which meant more patients could experience peer support and the wellbeing activities designed to increase their quality of daily living.

Since Covid the Joan Tomkins Centre has been home to St Helena’s bereavement services for adults and children. It will soon also be the setting for a new community day services programme starting in the autumn.

In the mid-1990s Mr Tomkins gave his property development skills and generous financial support to building an education centre in the hospice grounds, where health professionals from across the region could be trained in palliative care to excellent hospice standards.

Both buildings are a poignant legacy of the renowned property developer. Mr Tomkins, however, insisted that the buildings could not compare to the people delivering hospice care:

“It's all about people, it's not about buildings at the end of the day. You can put people in a tin shed if you've got the right people counselling and helping them.

“The heart of the hospice is the people working there. They're the most brilliant people there. They're dedicated, they do a very difficult job, and I couldn't speak hard enough for them. 

“The buildings are nothing, they are inanimate, but the staffing is absolutely wonderful.”

Pictures: Diana, Princess of Wales, and Robin Tomkins at the opening of the Joan Tomkins Centre at St Helena Hospice in 1988.