04 January 2024
TURNING Lives Around rounded off 2023 with its annual colleague awards recognising the hard work and achievements of its staff.
Nominations for the awards across five categories are made by colleagues for their colleagues and are submitted throughout the year. They are collated and go before a review panel with two ‘winners’ in each category being selected.
Some 78 staff members were nominated for the awards in 2023 and award recipients were presented with their certificates at TLA’s recent AGM.
The award winners were:
Team Member of the Year:
Nicola Hastie, Beacon Domestic Abuse Lead Practitioner, for the way she provides her time, support, wisdom and advice to the teams she works with. “Nic’s passion for helping our vulnerable clients is so obvious by the way she works beyond what is expected of her. She is a people’s person who really displays care for her colleagues.”
Emma Wood for the huge contribution she makes to Sustain and her understanding and support on many levels. “Emma is supportive to the team and will always help. She does what she says she is going to do. She has dealt with some tricky situations and has been fair, respectful and thorough.”
Group Member of the Year:
OWL’s Sandy Smithen, fundraising and Christmas Party group member. “Sandy does so much for TLA, OWL and her team, even working from her sick bed when she had a serious foot injury.”
Central Office admin Joe White who lives the values of quality and continuous improvement, attending multiple groups with innovative and thorough input that gives constructive feedback and has streamlined the induction training system. “You can rely on Joe. If Joe is asked to help with a task, he will own it and do it beyond what is expected.”
Leader of the Year:
OWL Manager Grace Pegden was nominated for the quality of her leadership and willingness to pitch in and help out where needed. “She is amazing at team work and is the sort of person that makes everyone else’s job easier to do.”
Nikeisha Bragger’s nomination described her as an excellent manager of Sustain Wakefield who not only ‘knows her stuff’ but also cares not only about her team as a whole but as individuals. “If you need help Nikeisha will be there for you. You want to do well and for the team to succeed when Nikeisha is in charge.”
Above and Beyond:
Sustain Volunteer and Peer Development Coordinator Fran Lomax was nominated for consistently going above and beyond her job remit. Described as ‘inspirational’, Fran is also “creative, passionate, dynamic and has a keen eye for opportunities to help, support and strengthen the work we do.”
“She puts her all into everything she does and turns every brilliant vision that she has into reality.”
Megan Williams, PA to the CEO, received her nomination for the amazing added value she gives TLA every day. “Meg makes things happen! She is funny, daring and a team player. Everyone knows Meg and relies on her.”
Bank Staff / Volunteer of the Year:
These awards went to Sustain volunteers Beverley Seal-Williams and Liz Burton. Beverley helps out in groups and as a telephone befriender, calling service users at their convenience for an hour-long chat. “Our service users look forward to her calls and her company. Bev is one in a million.”
Ex-service user Liz became a volunteer after leaving the service three years ago. She is a support both to Sustain staff and service users, helping out at various groups. “Liz is kind and helps service users feel at home, putting people at ease and socialising with service users many of whom are lonely. Liz is an absolute star.”