Team of the year
sponsored by English Partnerships
WINNER - Dacorum Home-Start
AN UNBELIEVABLE team effort secured the future of family charity Home-Start after it came under threat from lack of funding last year.
The Home-Start team |
In its 22-year history, Home-Start has supported a total of 1,086 families and 3,401 children in the borough of Dacorum.
But its support network for families with young children would have been slashed in half had it not been for the determination of its staff and volunteers.
The team worked tirelessly to raise funds through grants and fund-raising events as everyone put the charity first on their list of importance.
People opened their homes, sold cakes, wrote grant applications, stood in the rain and played human table football.
Home-Start co-ordinator Lara Parker said: “The amount of unpaid staff hours and volunteers' time was huge, but everyone pulled together and the camaraderie and team spirit got people through a whirlwind of long days, weekends and evenings.
“This award is a big thank you to everyone that gave up their time. Although we're a charity, we still have to operate as a business. It is just a very different type of teamwork and they are a marvellous team.”
Home-Start predicted a loss of £18,000 when its funding was slashed. The cuts would have eaten into Home-Start's reserves and required a 50 per cent downsize of the organisation, but after the team's fundraising efforts, the charity finished off £3,500 in profit.
Runner-Up - Iain Rennie Hospice at Home
DEDICATED team members at Iain Rennie Hospice at Home supported and cared for more than 170 Dacorum residents last year.
A further 142 family members sought comfort from its attentive team of nurses and volunteers.
Recruitment difficulties meant that the team was under-resourced for many months yet they managed to ensure that no patient was compromised, maintaining a 24 hour on-call service against the odds.
Chief Executive Rowena Dean said: “The NHS has faced some serious cuts to services recently but the Iain Rennie team have worked hard in partnership with district nurses and GP practices to provide care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“They display a strong commitment to people and work as a team. They work very hard and I don't think they could do what they do without team spirit.
“I'm very proud of my team in Dacorum. They do a lot of work in the area offering an invaluable service to the community. They pull out all the stops for their patients.”
Highly commended
Apsley Paper Trail A SMALL and dedicated team work with a limited budget to operate a heritage site at the birthplace of paper's industrial revolution.
Hemel Hempstead's Apsley Paper Trail is a unique exploration centre built around a historic, fully working paper mill and is complemented by an active business and industrial enterprise hub.
Team members work hard to offer a wide range of activities. These include recycling schemes and learning experiences for schools, group tours of the world's first mechanised paper mill, professional development courses and exhibitions and presentations on the unique history of papermaking.
Highly commended
Clipso IT TAKES a team effort to secure an annual average turnover of £500,000, according to Clipso hair salon manager Ian Ward.
He explained: “Our mission statement is that we at Clipso Hemel Hempstead want to be recognised as giving the best salon experience in Hertfordshire. This shared goal brings the team together, giving us a joint focus that boosts team morale and motivation.
“We work hard as a team to create a friendly, down-to-earth attitude vibe to the salon, which is loved by our clients and gives us great satisfaction.”
