Healthcare workers across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire have been honoured at Sirona care & health’s annual Awards for Excellence.
The ceremony, which enjoyed record attendance and was held at Ashton Gate Stadium, honoured people across Sirona for their care and compassion for individuals as well as their willingness to support colleagues in challenging circumstances.
This included Nicola Hickey, who knitted everyone in her team at the Clevedon Minor Injury Unit a pair of personalised slippers for their birthday and was described as the team’s “morale officer”. She also baked cakes and put together hampers to give to the children of colleagues to keep them entertained during lockdown. This nomination scooped her the Colleague of the Year.
And Shahnaz Chowdhury won twice – she is a member of the Health Links team, which won the award for Contribution to Equality and Diversity – and she was also the joint-winner for Health and Wellbeing for her work in helping connect diverse communities. Her dedication is so great that in addition to her day job, she has qualified as a badminton coach and as a fishing instructor, while she also hosts lunchtime check-ins and chats in different languages.
Julie Sharma, Interim Chief Executive and host for the night, said: “The awards ceremony was reminder of the fantastic achievements of everyone who serve our local communities in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. As well as celebrating the achievements of our winners, we also recognised those who were nominated and shortlisted who had all demonstrated going above and beyond in their role and this is why I am so proud to be part of Sirona.”
Nominations for the awards – of which there were a record number of more than 450 – were open to all Sirona staff, with the winners decided by a panel of judges.
The winners were as follows:
- Colleague of the Year Award: Nicola Hickey, Receptionist, Clevedon MIU
- Award for Inspirational Leadership: Alison Dark, Locality Manager for South Bristol
- Newcomer Award: Donna Thomas, Clinical Operational Lead for Falls, Frailty and Inclusion Health
- The Dusty Walker Award for Quality Improvement: Debbie Meintjes, Children’s Occupational Therapist across BNSSG.
- Learning and Development Award: Lucy Golding, Wellbeing Lead for Inner City and East Bristol
- Contribution to Equality & Diversity: Health Links Team
- Team of The Year: Community Respiratory Team
- Bank Worker of the Year: Donna Walker, Administrator at Yate MIU
- Health and Wellbeing: Shahnaz Chowdhury, Health Links Team; Steve Thom and Lauren Wallace, Health and Wellbeing Team
- Sustainability Award: Cathy Johnson, Business Support Manager Specialist Services; Clare Cook, Clinical Lead Community Respiratory Service
- I Think They Deserve It Award: Charlotte Mahon, Lifetime Support Worker; Rosemary Kingori, TB Nurse
- Chief Executive’s Award for Taking it Personally: Michelle Dixon, IT Service Desk Manager; Ruth Lezard, Community Matron Yate and Frome Valley
- Chair’s Award for Outstanding Contribution: Jen Tomkinson, Head of Specialist Services
The night also included a raffle, the proceeds of which went to the Sirona Foundation, the charity that exists to support the health and wellbeing of communities. The companies and individuals that donated prizes were:
Morgan Structural, Showcase Cinemas, Bath & Unwind, Body Matters, The Loungers, Elemis, The Bristol Hotel, Bristol Garden Maintenance, Sissies Sweet Treats, The Body Shop at Home with Lynn, Hartmann Group, Charlee Baker Beauty & Wellbeing, B.Braun, Sue Murphy, Rebecca Bull, Pauline Gozdyra, Alison Griffiths, Ashton Gate Stadium and anonymous donors.
Sounds Commercial and Ralph Allen Press sponsored the event.
