This year’s awards took place on Tuesday 24th September with 200 people joining us to celebrate the achievements of those accessing mental health, learning disability and autism services nationwide.
This year, the awards ceremony was held at Doncaster Racecourse in Doncaster. The theme and dress code was ‘Glitz and Glamour Encouraged’ chosen by the service users and residents on the Events Team, who supported the planning of the event throughout the year.
All the guests were treated to a grand entrance, fresh drinks and breakfast snacks before the ceremony started. On each table were ‘dicebreaker’ games, jokes and questions supplied by our Events Team to help start conversations within the group or with new people meeting for the first time. Each guest was also given a gift bag that included a programme, pen, horse-themed toy to complement the venue, communication preference stickers, a feedback card and fidget toys.
Including the Mark Britton Service User Choice Award, we had six fantastic winners on the day. There was a range of fantastic presentations to inform the audience about the project/person nominated, including live speeches, informative videos and a even a sing-along rap. The categories and winners were as follows:
- Community and Collaboration Award – ‘How Music Helps Day-to-Day with Recovery’, Cygnet Oaks, Lodge Ward, Cygnet Health Care.
For this project, the service users took time to create music which got them more involved and part of a community. The project also helped to support service users from a variety of sites to interact and find a new hobby. - Celebrating Diversity Award – ‘Focus’ – by Angela, Community & Access Peer Support Focus ADHD Group, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.
Angela, a Peer Support Supervisor, designed ‘Focus’ an educational support group for people who identify as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This group provides a safe space for people who understand what each other is going through. - Hope and Positivity Award – ‘Community Perinatal Peer Support Programme’ by Denise, Perinatal Mental Health Team, Cumbria Northumberland Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust.
As a Peer Supporter for the Community Perinatal Mental Health Team and having used mental health services herself, Denise wanted to support other mothers. By listening to them, she has been able to create an environment for them to thrive through peer support. - Innovation in Recovery Award – ‘The Lab Rats’ Band, Stockton Hall Hospital, Priory Group.
With the idea for this project beginning in Occupational Therapy sessions, service users decided to arrange auditions to see people’s musical talents. Since then, more service users have shown an interest in joining and have been inspired to play instruments and sing. This has become an ongoing project within the hospital that provides a comfortable and social space for musicians to share their talents, form friendships and express themselves through music. - Outstanding Leadership Award – Paul for ‘National Patient and Public Voice (PPV) Advisor for NHS Talking Therapies’, National Adult Mental Health Team, NHS England Talking Therapies.
Paul, an ex-detective, made the brave move over five years to become an Expert by Experience and use his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as an asset to help others. He now works for the NHS England Talking Therapies, fronting their national media campaigns and contributing to national policy. Paul today shares his story to improve the work of services, and to make a difference in other people’s lives. - Mark Britton People’s Choice Award – ‘Every Voice Patient Partners’, Inpatient and Community Services, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
The Every Voice Patient Partners work across all the Trust services using an ‘Ask, Listen, Do’ approach, ensuring that through innovation the voices of all patients are heard. They also work with United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (ULH) supporting them to ensure that patient’s voices are heard and to support them in their co-production journey. Their work is highly valued by the Trust Board and their Patient Peers.
As is often the case, one of the highlights of the day was the Mark Britton People’s Choice Award. The award is named in memory of Mark, an individual who for a number of years played a key role in the awards before sadly passing away in July 2019. This award is particularly special as the finalists and winner are chosen on the day by service users. Once again, we were honoured to have Mark’s mum Maggie present the award in person.
In between the award presentations, entertainment was provided by a number of service users in different mediums, including singing from Amy, singing and music from Flo, a poem from Vicki and a reading by Millie. During the breaks, guests were also able to enjoy the selfie frame and the 360 photo booth to take lots of selfies and group videos.
Raf Hamaizia, Cygnet’s Lived Experience Lead, who compered the day said: “Today was a massive milestone for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is the first year of the new name change since establishing the awards, which were formally known as the National Service User Awards (NSUA). Secondly, as part of the name change, we have broadened the range of people with lived experience to be more inclusive of social care and diverse service lines. Additionally, the amount of people in attendance continues to grow. Congratulations to ALL winners and those who were shortlisted, as this is a fantastic achievement within itself.”
Jon Van Niekerk, Cygnet Group Clinical Director, who closed the day said: “It’s a privilege for Cygnet to once again sponsor this incredible event, where we shine a spotlight on the extraordinary achievements of individuals accessing mental health, learning disability and autism services nationwide. It’s humbling to reflect on how far we’ve come since the awards first began in 2013. What started as a simple but powerful idea has grown into a national celebration, embracing more services and stories of triumph with each passing year. Watching this evolution unfold and witnessing the incredible milestones from across services nationwide has been truly inspiring. I hope everyone left feeling inspired, uplifted, and full of excitement for what lies ahead.”
We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who made this such a successful and inspiring event including the service user events team, guest performers, service user judges and head judges, Raf Hamaizia for compering the awards and to Jon Van Niekerk for closing the day, and to our sponsor, Cygnet.
We would also like to give an extra special mention to our events team for working so hard on planning the day. It is through their dedication and enthusiasm that the awards are kept alive each year, so we want to say a huge thank you and well done to them all.
Finally, a massive congratulations to all our finalists and winners. You should feel so proud of how your work is helping people on their journey towards recovery. We can’t wait for next year’s event already, which we hope will be even bigger and better!
Click here to view a gallery of photos from the event >>
Click here to see all of our finalists and winners and read why they won >>