Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust announced the winners of its annual Excellence Awards on the 75th birthday of the NHS.

The awards honour staff and community partners who go above and beyond for the trust, which runs King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton; Mansfield Community Hospital, and Newark Hospital.

The ceremony, held at the John Fretwell Sporting Complex, Sookholme, was the first since 2019 because due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Among the awards was the first Lifetime Achievement Award, which went to Gerrie Edwards, corporate matron, pictured top.

She was nominated for her involvement in several projects, including supporting the trust to achieve Pathway to Excellence accreditation, which globally recognises Sherwood Forest Hospitals as an excellent place for nurses and midwives to work.

She also leads the Shared Governance councils, which provide staff with a platform to have their voice heard and has been actively involved in the anti-racism strategy.

Gerrie also mentors and supports aspiring black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) members of staff and has consulted on the Internationally Educated Nurses and Midwives (IENM) survey, which was highly praised by NHS England.

“I feel truly humbled. I work with some incredible people, who always have our patients at the heart of everything we do,” she said. “Always be kind and always find a reason to make someone else smile.”

Recently-retired domestic cleaner Margaret King was the recipient of the People’s Award, which is voted for by members of the public.

Having worked in the Domestic Cleaning Team at King’s Mill for 15 years, she was nominated for the support she gives to young adults with learning difficulties, whom she helps into further employment at the trust.

Margaret has been described as supportive and caring with the most wonderful level of patience.

Clare Harris, of the Emily Harris Foundation, won the Chair Award (above), chosen by Claire Ward, chair of the trust.

She was chosen for her efforts over many years in raising money for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, based at King’s Mill.

Clare and her husband, Neil Harris, started the charity in 2008 on what would have been their daughter Emily’s second birthday, after seeing first-hand how the unit benefits the parents of newborn babies needing extra care.

The charity has since raised £250,000 for the trust.

Trust chair Claire Ward said: “The level of commitment shown by all the nominees is so inspiring to see and it has been humbling to hear all their stories.

“The Chair Award was created to acknowledge someone who truly deserves to be honoured for all that they do for the trust, and I cannot think of a more worthy recipient than Clare Harris.

“Her efforts over the years have benefitted so many families who are going through the unimaginable. We are thankful for all that she has done since she started the Emily Harris Foundation in 2008.”

Paul Robinson, chief executive, added: “I always look forward to the Excellence Awards. It’s such a great opportunity to celebrate the amazing things colleagues have achieved over the past 12 months.

“Seeing all these wonderful people being honoured for going above and beyond in their roles, and displaying acts of kindness and care to all those they encounter, makes me so proud to be chief executive.

“Many people comment on how welcome, inclusive, and friendly they find colleagues at the trust and the Excellence Awards are a great chance for the trust to celebrate all its amazing colleagues and honour their achievements.”

Winners were:

Multidisciplinary Team of the Year Award – Maternity and the Badgernet Project Implementation Team.

Most Improved Team Award – Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU).

Chris McFarlane Award – Samantha Dales.

Rising Star Award – Rachel Grzelak.

Non-Clinical Team of the Year Award – Sterile Services Team.

Non-Clinical Individual of the Year – Paul Holt.

Nursing, Midwifery & AHP Team – The Early Pregnancy Unit (Rainbow Clinic).

Nursing, Midwifery & AHP Individual – Emma Gregory.

Doctor and Consultant Team – Acute Medicine.

Doctor and Consultant Individual – Amit Jaiswal.

Specialist Healthcare Team – Medical Equipment Management Department.

Specialist Healthcare Individual – Jodie Prest.

Volunteer of the Year – Pam Weir.

Lifetime Achievement Award – Gerrie Edwards.

Community Hero Award – Nikki Slack, West Nottinghamshire College.

Community Partner of the Year – Matthew Lamb, director of Newark and Sherwood District Council.

CARE Award – Emma Strawther.

The Chair Award – Emily Harris Foundation.

The People’s Award (sponsored by Chad – Margaret King.

The trust thanked sponsors ResMed, a provider of digital devices to help people with sleep apnoea and other chronic diseases, and Sirona Medical, a UK-based healthcare recruitment agency. It also thanked Mansfield and Ashfield Chad for its support of the People’s Award, which enables members of the public to thank individual staff members or teams for their dedication and commitment, and Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity, whose donations enabled the awards to take place.