Wellbeing heroes have been honoured at this year’s North Ayrshire Partnership Awards.
The winners of the 2024 Partnership Awards were announced at North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s ‘Promoting Wellbeing Together’ event on Friday 25 October at Redburn Community Centre in Irvine.
The event was a fantastic celebration of the staff, teams and individuals who deliver health and social care services in North Ayrshire, as well as the crucial work of those in our communities who support people with their wellbeing, including volunteers, community organisations and charities.
It also honoured those who provide first-class wellbeing support in the workplace to their staff teams and colleagues.
After an introduction from event comperes Dr Iain Jamieson (Clinical Director, NAHSCP) and Billy Brotherston (Independent Chair, North Ayrshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership), the event kicked off with a short wellbeing session delivered by Cath Brannan from YES Your Entire Self, before this year’s winners were announced as follows:
Individual Awards:
Everyday Wellbeing Hero | Dalia Alsawy, Arabic Bilingual Liaison Officer
The scoring panel were impressed by Dalia’s passionate approach to supporting refugees in North Ayrshire, many of whom have experienced significant trauma in their lives, with her nominator saying she has ‘wellbeing at the heart of everything she does’.
No1 Wellbeing Community Superhero | Janie Stewart of MECOPP (Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project)
Through her role as a Community Health Worker with the Gypsy Traveller community, Janie has opened the doors to allowing conversations about positive wellbeing within her community, helping to remove the stigma often associated with mental health.
Inspirational Wellbeing Leadership | Debbie Alexander of CHAP
Debbie was described as a remarkable leader who exemplifies what it means to create an environment where her team feels supported, motivated and empowered to thrive. Her leadership has transformed the organisation’s culture, focusing on wellbeing, inclusivity, and the growth of both the team and the mission.
Administration Wellbeing Star | Lynne Ferguson, NAHSCP
Lynne is the person who ‘makes wellbeing happen’ across NAHSCP, leading her team to support the implementation of wellbeing suggestions, as well as listening to staff to find out what wellbeing support would work best for them.
Volunteer Wellbeing Hero | Liz Sullivan of Redburn Breakfast Club
Liz is dedicated to supporting local young people and families, having set up the Redburn Breakfast Club over 5 years ago, as well as being the driver behind the Irvine Youth Legacy Centre. Her commitment to the people who live in the Irvine community is evident in all that she does.
Team Awards:
Partnership Wellbeing Team Champions | North Ayrshire Community Link Worker Service.
This service is available to all North Ayrshire residents via GP practices, with Community Link Workers using a holistic approach to achieving positive wellbeing outcomes. This can range from improving health through lifestyle changes, to building confidence, resilience, and reducing anxiety by recognising strengths and considering barriers.
Administration Team Wellbeing Stars | NAHSCP Business Support Team
The Business Support Team helps to co-ordinate and organise a wide range of wellbeing opportunities for staff and partners. This has allowed hundreds of staff from across NAHSCP, GP practices, care homes and local third sector organisations to take some much-needed time out from challenging roles to take care of their own wellbeing.
Volunteer Wellbeing Team Champions | Fullarton ConneXions Community Café Volunteers
These committed volunteers provide vital support to the paid café staff, without which the café could not function to the level it does. The team’s commitment to providing services and support to people from all walks of life in the community is commendable, with the volunteers being described as ‘great ambassadors’ for the organisation.
Community Organisation Wellbeing Superheroes | Autism Support Ayrshire
The organisation provides free and confidential advice, guidance and support to families and individuals affected by autism across Ayrshire. Described by many as a ‘lifeline’, the service makes a positive difference to wellbeing, with an empathetic approach that is tailored to the needs of each individual.
The standard of submissions for the awards was incredibly high – with over 200 nominations received – meaning that the scoring panel faced some extremely difficult decisions during the shortlisting process.
NAHSCP would like to congratulate all of this year’s finalists and winners, as well as everyone who received a nomination. Your hard work and dedication makes such a difference and doesn’t go unnoticed, so thank you for everything that you do.
A huge thank you also goes out to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination, as well as those who attended or contributed to the event in some way and helped to make it such a huge success.
