News

Honouring Service Users & Staff

Approximately 40 guests gathered at Lift Angel in Islington for the first Social Interest Group Awards Luncheon on Monday, 24^th February 2020.

The awards recognized excellence, and honourees were nominated by their colleagues and staff members. There were winners in 3 categories:

For Staff:

• The Going the Extra Mile Award
  For a staff member who always does that little bit extra to support their clients and to ensure that the service is seen in the best light.
• The Antony Miller Initiative Award
  For a staff member or staff team that have come up with creative ways to support a client or have done something to make the service run more smoothly.

For Service Users:

• The Going Above and Beyond Award
  For individual service users that have not only made excellent progression within their own recovery but have also helped or become an inspiration to others in their community

There were speeches by Chief Executive Gill Arukpe and Service Users, Bridie King and Natasha Wing from the Solace Centre.

Participants enjoyed a two-course meal, followed by the presentation of awards and networking. Everyone agreed that it was a great event and appreciated the thought and effort that was put into it.

For Natasha, being recognised and rewarded was something new, “In 17 years, I have never won anything, let alone been invited to anything like this. I am so grateful that we were recognised and will use this as the push we need to keep going.” she said.

Another service user, Shane Bundy, in his acceptance speech, said that he was honoured to receive the award and was thankful to the staff at Biscot House where he resides, for supporting him and helping him grow and develop interests that he didn’t previously know he had.

In her speech, Gill thanked the winners for their hard work and dedication to the SIG and said that she hoped it can become an annual event.

The Honourees

The Going the Extra Mile Award

Andrew Parsonage, Aspinden Wood Team, Danielle Nealis, Elizabeth Aldous, Giuseppe Matera

ICT Team – Ola Ajayi & Maciej Toborek, Joanne Raggett and Maxine Smith

The Going Above and Beyond Award

Duarte Vicente, Emma, Melanie Leeman, Shane, The Solace Centre Service User Steering Committee – Silent Disco and Tobore Avbunudje

The Antony Miller Initiative Award

Angela Henry, Brook Drive Team, The CJS Community Management Team, Jonathan Nilsson Patricia Medford and the Penrose Roots Team