Nursing students are set to benefit for years to come from a fund set up to honour a much loved and respected lecturer whose life was cruelly cut short.
Claire, a mother and grandmother, was murdered on January 22, 2025, by her ex-husband Paul Butler in West Hoe Road. The 48-year-old was a dedicated nurse and a lecturer at the University of Plymouth and deeply respected by all her colleagues, who paid tribute to her following her death. Butler later pleaded guilty to her murder and was jailed for life, with a minimum tariff of 27 years.
In October 2025 she was awarded the university’s highest accolade, a Doctorate of Philosophy, in recognition of a programme of work titled ‘Testing an intervention to develop resilience in student nurses and embed a strategy in undergraduate curricula’.
To further her legacy, her friends and colleagues in the University of Plymouth’s School of Nursing and Midwifery created the Claire Chick Nursing Fund to raise fund in her memory and to support the next generation of the profession.
The memorial fund aimed to raise £20,000 to offer Plymouth’s student nurses travel bursaries, financial or personal hardship support, and other vital assistance. The intention was to ensure that nursing students – regardless of background or circumstance – could make the most of their education and go on to make a difference in our communities.
Claire Chick(Image: PA)
Students have already accessed the fund to travel to a European nursing conference – which Claire had previously visited herself – and the crucial £20,000 fundraising milestone has been achieved through running challenges, charity galas, and kind donations from individuals and organisations across the city.
In fact the target has now been passed due to the efforts of those who loved and respected Claire, with the current total now sitting at £24,040.
Dr Heather Hopper, Deputy Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Plymouth, said: “The fund has already helped students to access opportunities that they otherwise wouldn’t have done, so it’s brilliant to know that it will continue for others in future.
“It’s available to all of our cohorts, undergraduate and postgraduate across our sites in Plymouth, Exeter and Truro, meaning Claire’s legacy is felt right across the South West.
Claire Chick awarded PhD from University of Plymouth(Image: University of Plymouth)
“A colleague and friend to so many, Claire was vibrant, an amazing nurse and so passionate about supporting students at all stages of their journey. I know she’d be very proud of everyone set to benefit from the fund, as well as those who helped to raise the money.”