Celebrating Achievement: Cygnet Staff Awards 2024

Welcome to a quick update from Carer activist and Cygnet Carer network Ambassador Matthew McKenzie. As involved at cygnet, I seek to connect with families and carers whose loved ones use the services of Cygnet. It is important carers are involved to help shape services and connect with other carers to shared knowledge in a peer supportive environment.

On Thursday 24th of October was the Cygnet Staff Achievement Awards 2024. Cygnet take pride in their staff and look to celebrate and award all the work their staff do.

The massive award ceremony was held over at Edgbaston Cricket Ground Banqueting Suite, Birmingham.

As a carer it can be difficult to feel part of something special, so I was delighted be called as a judge to submit my views as a carer network Ambassador regarding what I thought was important. Cygnet wanted to thank all their staff for the hard work and dedication to their job. To many, it is more than a job, which is why Cygnet wanted to award those who have gone beyond their call of duty.

Obviously before the event, I took my time to explore Birmingham. It is such a wonderful city and people are welcoming and friendly. I almost did not want to leave, but I also looking forward to attending the award ceremony. The location for the award ceremony was an excellent choice. The venue was easy to get to and hospitality was brilliant, with excellent food and welcoming staff.

The Cygnet Staff Achievement Awards 2024 was presented by three inspirational people. The first being Carer and Actress Sally Phillips and her son Olly Bermejo.

Sally’s work as an actress is amazing starring in the following

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
TV Comedy Series Miranda (2009)

She is also a patron of the Skylarks charity in Richmond [south-west London], which helps those with disabilities who fared much worse under austerity during the pandemic.

Next we heard from Nicolas Hamilton

An inspirational man who has made an impact in his life to change things around. He now uses what he has learned to help others. Nicolas Hamilton is a British racing driver who last competed in the 2023 British Touring Car Championship. He races with a specially-modified car due to his cerebral palsy. Hamilton is the paternal half-brother of seven-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

We then also heard from Dr Tony Romero Chief Executive of Cygnet on the importance of the award ceremony.

We then heard from David Wilmott Cygnet’s director of nursing who helped launch the award ceremony.

Awards Ceremony

There were lots of awards up for grabs as we all waiting in anticipation on who was to win for their achievements. Below is the following category list.

Care: Joy in Work Award
Respect: Inclusion & Diversity Award
Empower: Mover & Shaker Award
Trust: Helping Hand Award
Integrity: Hand on Heart Award
Delivering Service Excellence: The Showstopper Award
Innovation for the future: Game Changer Award
Support Act of the Year Award
Essential People Award: Unsung Hero
Learner of the Year Award
Bright Future Award
Swan Award
All Star Award: Service User’s Choice Award Social Care
All Star Award: Service User’s Choice Award Health Care
Social Care Service of the Year

I would like to congratulate the winners of the awards listed, but to be fair those who were nominated were also winners in my eyes. It was all about taking part and celebrating staff as a whole.