Pendleside Hospice celebrates double triumph at Hospice UK Awards

Pendleside Hospice is thrilled to announce its outstanding achievements at the prestigious Hospice UK National Conference Awards.

The Hospice not only secured one, but two esteemed awards, highlighting its dedication to community engagement and collaborative excellence.

Leah Hooper's Outstanding Contributions Recognised

Leah Hooper, Pendleside's community engagement officer, received the first award for her exemplary work in raising awareness of Pendleside’s services among the minority ethnic community in Burnley and Pendle. Leah's initiatives included orchestrating the successful Pendleside Ramadan campaign and Iftar celebration, a successful event that attracted over 60 participants, including prominent figures, patients, and their families.

Beyond the immediate success of the event, Leah's efforts led to increased diversity on the board, with a successful applicant from the Asian community securing a Trustee role. 

Annette Alcock, director of programmes at Hospice UK, commended Leah's impact, stating: "Leah's work has played an important role in raising awareness of Pendleside's services amongst the local Asian community in Burnley and Pendle. Hospices across the UK are keen to better understand the diverse voices of their communities and ensure more people know about hospice care and can access it if needed.

"Leah's work has helped Pendleside build trust built between the hospice and the community members, contributing to an increase in patient referrals and an increase in volunteer recruitment.”

Leah added: ”I feel honoured to have been nominated and selected as winner for this award. It has definitely been a collaborative effort amongst our Hospice team, and I couldn’t have done the work over the last 12 months in our local community without the help from my colleagues and external organisations, such as NK Foundation. Thanks to everyone who has supported me in my role.”

Meals on Wheels Team Clinches Michael Howard Award

The second award went to Pendleside's Meals on Wheels team, a collaborative effort involving the catering team, 53 volunteer drivers, three coordinators, and support from the finance team. What started as a response to the urgent needs arising from the Covid-19 pandemic has now evolved into a permanent and vital service, providing support to isolated and vulnerable individuals in the community.

Led by catering and domestic services manager, Mark Scott, the team not only delivers hot, nourishing meals but also serves as a critical point of contact for many recipients. Their commitment extends beyond the culinary aspect, as they provide companionship and conduct welfare checks. The team are preparing and delivering between 80-90 meals per day, and over the past two years, the service has generated £35,000, which is directly funding patient care across the Hospice. 

Annette Alcock, director of programmes at Hospice UK, praised the team's exemplary work, stating: "The Michael Howard Award recognises the importance of collaborative partnerships and services to reach more people and deliver better outcomes at the end of life, and Pendleside's Meals on Wheels team have done just that. With their usual work on hold due to the Covid pandemic, they innovatively set up their Meals on Wheels service, expanding care into the local community and generating income for the hospice to fund top-class end of life care.

"The judging panel were impressed with how the largely volunteer workforce consistently showed commitment and outstanding service, operating 7 days a week, 365 days a year.”

Mark added: ”Our Meals On Wheels team is largely made up of volunteers, who give up their time on a weekly or daily basis, to provide a wonderful service to some of the most vulnerable people in Burnley and Pendle. They do this not only by providing a hot meal, but also with social interaction and welfare checks. I’m proud to see Pendleside receive this recognition and it was an honour to receive the award.”

The theme for this year’s Hospice UK National Conference was Thinking Differently, which is a chance for hospices all over the UK to learn about ongoing trends, challenges and upcoming opportunities. The aim was for attendees to leave feeling energised, inspired and to go away with new ideas and practical advice, which they could apply in their everyday roles within the hospice.

Pendleside’s chief executive, Helen McVey, said: “These accolades reflect Pendleside Hospice's ongoing commitment to providing compassionate care and building strong community connections. I am incredibly proud of what our staff achieve everyday, but to be recognised for the hard work and commitment that goes into building community engagement and providing valuable services to those who truly need it, is amazing. By working together, we’re making a positive impact on the lives of those with life-limiting illnesses, as well as their families and carers, throughout Burnley and Pendle.”