Helpforce Champions Awards 2021: Winners and finalists announcement

We are delighted to announce the winners and finalists for the Helpforce Champions Awards 2021. Our judges have commented that this year's entries have been of high quality and impressive and it was very difficult for them to make a decision.

Mark Lever, Helpforce CEO, said: "Many congratulations to our winners and finalists. They have clearly demonstrated a great commitment and real passion for patient care and support for staff.

“At Helpforce, we know that fantastic volunteering happens all the time in the health and care sector, especially during the pandemic, which has made a huge positive impact on millions of vulnerable patients and their families. We were delighted to celebrate the achievements and success of the finalists and winners at this year’s Helpforce Champions Awards. Many thanks to those who have taken the time to recognise their volunteers and teams so that their stories can keep inspiring others to be kind and compassionate towards those who are in need.”

Please find below the list of winners and finalists of the Helpforce Champions Awards 2021:

Outstanding Volunteering Team of the Year:

• Winner: South Central Ambulance Charity & South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust - South Central Ambulance Charity Community First Responders
• Highly commended: Sussex Community NHS Trust - Volunteer service
• Highly commended: Cardiff and Vale University Health Board - Hospital Runner team

Young Volunteer of the Year:

• Winner: Eve Adams, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
• Highly commended: Katherine Healey, South Warwickshire Foundation Trust
• Highly commended: Avani Bhalla, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Trust

Volunteer of the Year:

• Winner: Samuel McKee, NHS Lothian
  
• Highly commended: Abi Gibbs & Hugh Chamberlain, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
• Highly commended: Lynn Daniel, the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Outstanding Staff Champion for Volunteers:

• Winner: Cristina Irimus, Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
  
• Highly commended: Sarah Davies, Cardiff and Vale Health Board
• Highly commended: Alison Cooke, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust

Volunteer Leader of the Year:

• Winner: Sharon O'Donnell, Northern Health and Social Care Trust
• Highly commended: Sarah Kahn, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
• Highly commended: Jenny O'Boy, East & North Hertfordshire NHS Trust

Partnership and Systems working in volunteering:

• Winner: West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance Community Panel
  
• Highly commended: Jacqui Barret, #TabletsWithLove (Co-founder of Wider Thinking)
• Highly commended: Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Mass Vaccination Centre Volunteers

Innovation in volunteering:

• Winner: Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Bereavement Comfort Cal Service Volunteers
• Highly commended: Royal Free Charity, Digital Volunteer Pilot collaboration
• Highly commended: Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trus, C&I Response Service - A helping hand for staff and patients

Celebrating Inclusion and Diversity in Volunteering:

• Winner: Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Young Person's Advisory Group
• Highly commended: Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Trust, The Voluntary Service
• Highly commended: Central and North West London Trust CNWL, The silent helpers assisting patients communicating (and reconnecting) with family and friends

People's Choice Award:

Winner: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, Check-in and Chat service