Huckerby salutes mental health starsDarren Huckerby was the star guest as 300 staff from Norfolk’s mental health trust celebrated their own and their colleagues’ achievements at a glittering awards dinner.
The popular former Norwich City star presented the trophies and posed for countless photographs as Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust held its Trust Awards 2011 at the Sprowston Manor Marriott Hotel on Thursday, March 24 2011.
“I was very pleased to be invited,” said Darren afterwards. “The Trust is doing great work in mental health, which is an area that often gets overlooked. A lot of people put it on the backburner, and it only comes to the forefront when someone close to them is struggling with a mental illness, or Alzheimer’s, or some other form of dementia.”
The 10 award winners were each selected from a shortlist of three. The winners ranged from administrative staff to a five-strong memory treatment team, and the inspiration behind a music project for people with mental health problems. The full list of award winners was:
Unsung hero (clinical) – Julie Kerton, staff nurse, Poppies Day Hospital
Outstanding Community Contribution – Malcolm Bedingfield, public governor
Chair’s award – Linda Cross, locality personal assistant, Chatterton House
Julie Kerton, staff nurse at the Poppies Day Centre, at Carlton Court, near Lowestoft, won the unsung hero (clinical) award for her work in setting up a support group for people diagnosed with dementia, and launching a ‘Lifetime’ garden to help stimulate the memories of dementia sufferers.
“I’m really overwhelmed,” said Julie. “What makes it extra special was feeling so much support, especially from three gentlemen who have dementia who came here with me tonight. They’re the reason I do the job that I do, and I’m as pleased for them as I am for myself because they value and appreciate what I do. I feel very honoured.”
The Trust’s second awards night followed on from a successful inaugural event in 2009. The latest event was entirely funded through the generosity of sponsors.
Trust chief executive Aidan Thomas said: “I’m very proud to be part of such an excellent organisation, and that’s a reflection on the quality of our staff. This evening is about recognising how much our people contribute to the lives of others, and saying ‘thank you’ to those who go out of their way to improve the lives of other people.”
The Trust awards were sponsored by: Birketts; Eras; Falcon Healthcare; HCL Doctors; the Locum Practice; Mills and Reeve; ProMedical; Psychiatry People; and Pulse Doctors.
