AWARD WINNERS: Huntingdonshire children’s charity Dreamdrops was among the winners as the NHS recognised its unsung heroes.

More than 100 Cambridgeshire Community Services (CCS) NHS Trust staff from across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Luton and Suffolk were invited to attend the awards, which also marked long service achievements, at Huntingdon Racecourse on September 18.

Dreamdrops, which is currently raising money to help refurbish the special care baby unit at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, picked up the award for charity of the year.

Charity chairman Anne-Maire Hamilton told The Hunts Post: “We’re thrilled to bits to win the award. It’s fantastic to be able to improve the lives of children who are ill in hospital or in the community, and provide those extras which are not provided by the NHS. However, this work would not be possible without the generosity of the people of Huntingdonshire.”

Huntingdonshire folk also fared well in the other awards.

Kate Rivett, neonatal manager of the special care baby unit, based at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, was the winner of the leadership award. She was nominated for being an “excellent role model who is resilient and confident in her aim to ensure that the service is the best for babies, families and staff”.

The winner of the quality award went to the post-operative shoulder rehabilitation class team, based at Hinchingbrooke Hospital while the winner of the promoting dignity in care award was staff nurse Jenny Haslegrave and Jean Stokes, community neo-natal nurse, who both work for children’s services in Huntingdon. Jenny and Jean were nominated for their work to support families that had lost a baby.

There was also a runners-up spots in the involvement of service user and/or carer award for the podiatry team at the Oak Tree Centre in Huntingdon.

Long-serving Huntingdonshire staff recognised at the event included: Sue McAughtrie, child health manager, Janet Rice, community rehab, and Elizabeth Terry, Parkinson’s disease specialist nurse, who have all served 25 years. Sandra Coxsedge, health care assistant, Rika Sanderson, physiotheraphy assistant, and David Vickers, medical director, have all served 20 years.

nPictured (from left) are: Anne-Marie Hamilton, CCS chairman Heather Peck, Vivien Golding, dreamdrops charity administrator and Mike Andrews, member of the Dreamdrops fundraising committee.