Celebrating our Carers in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
We are still buzzing following the outstanding success of the Sharing the Caring event held jointly earlier this month with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. It brought together network partners in social care to mark national Carers Week and was a joyful celebration of the fantastic work done by our family carers of all ages.
The first ever Pride in Our Carers Awards for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough was also held during the day and the judging panel was faced with the daunting task of selecting winners from many worthy nominations. It was hosted by BBC Radio Cambridgeshire presenter Dotty McLeod who described how moved she felt when interviewing carers on her radio show and learning about their selfless lives and dedication to their loved ones.
The auditorium at the C3 Centre in Cambridge was packed to hear special guest, Dr Jane Hawking, speak movingly about the plight of autism, the struggles faced by families and her appeal to the public to step in and help if they see a family struggling with an autistic child. Her speech at our annual meeting last September about being a carer for her former husband, the world renowned Professor Stephen Hawking who suffers from motor neurone disease, struck a chord with many carers and we were all delighted to have an opportunity to hear her speak again, knowing it would profoundly resonate again with carers.
Carers Trust Cambridgeshire holds regular clubs and groups throughout Cambridgeshire for children and young people with disabilities, including specialist clubs for young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. For information about this, see our
website.
We would like congratulate the Award winners and thank all our partners, everyone who took part and held a market place stall or facilitated a workshop, for helping make Sharing the Caring such a memorable day.
The winners of the Pride in Our Carers Awards were:
Carer of the Year: Helen Hewett who selflessly carers for her husband Tom who has Alzheimer’s disease, and her daughter Lily, who has cerebral palsy.
Young Carer of the Year: Margaret Woodward, 16, who cares for her two older brothers, despite having a disability herself.
Carer Friendly Employer: David Maroto, of Cyrus Audio, Huntingdon, who offers flexibility and understanding to his staff, both carers and the cared-for person.
Carer Friendly Health Award: Aileen Regaldo, Hinchingbrooke Hospital Accident & Emergency Department, for understanding the true meaning of person-centred care collaboration.
Carer Friendly Social Care: Karen Bennett and Alan Jerom, from Huntingdon, for providing respite care, especially to two severely disabled young girls meaning they are often deprived of sleep.
Carer Friendly Voluntary Organisation: Lesley Cuthbert, Care Network, who actively searches out carers and refers them to the relevant agencies and follows up to ensure they are supported.
Carer Friendly School: Mrs Kathy Bradford, Hinchingbrooke School, Huntingdon, who works hard to recognise and support young carers at the school.
The
Outstanding Contribution to Carers Award given by CPFT was awarded to
Elizabeth Mitchell, lead governor for service users and carers with CPTF.
A
Special Recognition Award was dedicated to all
Carers Ambassadors who support Carers Trust Cambridgeshire and Carers Trust Peterborough.
We look forward to next year’s event!
