Double delight as two Harrogate NHS charity bosses shortlisted for national Helpforce Champions Awards 2022

Sarah Armstrong, Chair of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust’s (HDFT) has been shortlisted for the Health Leader Champion for Volunteering Award.

Sammy Lambert, the Trust’s Business Development, Charity and Volunteer Manager, has been shortlisted in the Volunteer Manager of the Year category.

The awards are a chance to shine a light on those who give their time to help staff in the NHS and voluntary and community organisations, and support patients and their families and carers.

On being shortlisted, Sarah Armstrong said: “It is a real privilege to have been shortlisted for the Health Leader Champion for Volunteering Award.

"I am passionate about the value of volunteering and the unique contribution volunteers can make within health and care settings.

“Volunteers play such an important role at our Trust and we wouldn’t be able to provide our community with such a high level of service without them.

“Every day our volunteers go out of their way to help our patients and assist our staff.

"They do an amazing job and I am very proud of all that they do.

“Within my role of Chair of HDFT I have many responsibilities, but working with our volunteers and helping to develop a successful volunteer programme for our Trust is certainly one of the most rewarding.”

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On being nominated in the shortlisted in the Volunteer Manager of the Year category, Sammy Lambert said: “I am so honoured and proud to have been shortlisted in the Helpforce Champions Awards 2022.

“I am delighted that I was nominated for the prestigious Volunteer Manager of the Year award by our amazing team of nearly 500 volunteers and staff who work so hard every day to make such an amazing difference for our patients and service users.

“Thank you so much to Helpforce and to each and every person at #teamHDFT who I am so proud to work with supporting our NHS.

"They are an incredible team who I am so thankful to work alongside who go above and beyond every day.”

Mark Lever, Chief Executive of Helpforce, added: “2020 and 2021 have seen the NHS and all our healthcare services face one of the biggest challenges in their history, and we have seen volunteers step up in their thousands to help.

“This year, we have received a record number of entries for the Helpforce Champions Awards with so many brilliant examples of innovation, great practice, commitment, and real passion for patient care and support for staff across the health and care sector in the United Kingdom.

“We want to thank everyone for taking the time to recognise the volunteers and send our congratulations to those who have been shortlisted and we’d like to wish them the best of luck.”

Winners will be announced on Helpforce’s website and social media channels on Monday, November 7.

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