The awards ceremony on Wednesday 25th February crackled with excitement as more than 100 people gathered to honour and celebrate the contributions of remarkable people whose dedication and commitment make Brendoncare such a special place to work, live and belong. 

Held at Hope Church in Middle Brook Street, Winchester, the ceremony started with an introduction by Chief Executive Michael Crutchley who said the evening was all about “creating a culture of appreciation and thanks”. 

Celebrations started with recognition for the 18 staff members who had been nominated for external awards – the Hampshire Care Awards and the Great British Care Awards. 

Tributes were then paid to those staff members who have dedicated their careers to Brendoncare over five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years, all significant milestones. 

The highlight was the announcement of the nominees followed by the presentations to the winners of the 12 newly created Brendoncare awards.

The winners are:  

Carer of the Year – Helena Kowalska (Stildon) 

Extra Care Award – Elsie Absuhio (Alton) 

Dementia Support Award – Lily Embola Kalu (St Giles View) 

Nurse of the Year – John Debil 

Catering Experience – Meadway 

Volunteer of the Year – Lester Parry (Meadway) 

Fundraising Initiative – Marie Glen (Central Office) 

Community Award – Valerie Down (volunteer) 

Support Hero – Simon Green DeWoolfson (Central Office) 

Values Driven Leader – Hilda Cerias (Alton) 

The Phoebe Bacon Award for innovation – Ben Rider (Central Office) 

Ronald Gibson Award for making a difference – Louisa White (Stildon) 

More than 160 nominations were received for the awards, nominated by staff members, much higher than anyone anticipated. 

They were then shortlisted by a panel of 12 judges from across all areas of the charity.  

The evening concluded with a disco provided by Dan’s Discos. A huge thank you to our sponsor Servio and to the evening’s host Paul Evers for making it such a special and memorable occasion.