Robert Buckland MP has welcomed the news that local charity, Care Home Volunteers, has been crowned Volunteer Team of the Year at the second annual Caring UK Awards.
Robert has worked closely with Care Home Volunteers as part of his Campaign to Tackle Loneliness in Swindon.
Care Home Volunteers works across Wiltshire and Swindon. It recruits, trains and supports volunteers to befriend residents in care homes for older people
The awards, organised by Script Events and leading industry publication Caring UK, with support from headline sponsor Clydesdale/Yorkshire Bank, recognise excellence, innovation and achievement in all corners of the industry.
To come out on top, the organisation went through a rigorous assessment process, which involved a site visit by a member of the awards' team.
Detailed reports were then compiled and passed on to an expert judging panel, which included Nadra Ahmed OBE DL, of the National Care Association, Raj Kapoor of Alzheimer's Society, Mario Kreft MBE of Care Forum Wales, Professor Jane Murphy, co-lead of the Ageing and Dementia Research Centre at Bournemouth University and Caring UK editor Dominic Musgrave, who decided the winners in each category from the shortlists.
Caring UK Awards event director Judith Halkerston said: “All our winners have had an arduous journey to this point – the standard of entries was overwhelming and every facility that walked away with an award should be extremely proud.”
Norman Edwards, Chair of Care Home Volunteers, said “This a great recognition of the superb work done by our fantastic team of volunteers. We are so proud of their dedication in bringing joy and friendship to older people in care”.
Robert Buckland MP said “I am delighted to hear that this hard-working and dedicated local charity has been awarded Volunteer Team of the Year at the Caring UK Awards. Care Home Volunteers were a key part of my recent Loneliness Summit and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the future.”
Further information about Care Home Volunteers can be found by visiting the website http://www.carehomevolunteers.org.uk/