Sense Awards 2011
04 October 2011
National awards for deafblind people and volunteers
Deafblind man Roger Mulholland who was awarded the Sense Deafblind Person of the Year award for his exceptional contribution to raising awareness of Sense and deafblindness, lead the charge at this year’s national Sense Awards.
The awards are given by Sense in recognition of exceptional achievements. Winners have campaigned, volunteered and worked for and on behalf of deafblind people, often for decades.
The awards were presented at a special ceremony in London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre on 4 October and were hosted by Director, Choreographer and TV personality Arlene Phillips. She said:
"I am so delighted to be presenting the Sense Awards this year, as they are a great way of recognising the achievements of deafblind people and those who make a real difference to their lives. It was fantastic to meet all the nominees who have made such a valuable contribution."
Congratulations to everyone who was shortlisted for a Sense Award. The judges were impressed by the inspiration, dedication and commitment shown across the ten categories.
…and the 2011 winners are:
Deafblind Person of the Year – Roger Mulholland
Roger Mulholland, 25, from Tiverton, won the Deafblind Person of the Year award for his exceptional contribution to raising awareness of Sense and deafblindness. On the same day last year (4 October 2010) Roger was in hospital undergoing life saving surgery and has also had serious heart and eye procedures over the years. Despite all this, he recently undertook his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award and completed a gruelling 25 mile coastal walk to raise funds for Sense. Roger also volunteers as a waiter at Café 55, Sense’s café in Exeter staffed by deafblind volunteers, presented a birthday cake to mark 10 years of Deafblind Guidance at Number 10 Downing Street and was the face of Sense’s recent BBC Lifeline Appeal.
Roger’s Mum, Jane Mulholland, said:
"Roger hasn’t been able to take the big smile off his face. I am just so proud of him. The ceremony was like a huge family party with everyone in the room understanding just how important these awards are for deafblind people who face different challenges from the rest of us. I want to say a big thank you to everyone at Sense because Roger wouldn’t be who he is today without all their support over the years."
Young Deafblind Person of the Year - Ruairi Corr
Ruairi Corr, 16, from Exmouth, is this year’s Young Deafblind Person of the Year. He won the award for his determination to overcome personal challenges and support others with sensory impairments. Ruairi became deafblind when he was six and a half years old following a bone marrow transplant for a rare genetic condition, but he continues to challenge himself and support others. Earlier this year, Ruairi completed the Exeter Great West Run to raise funds for a blind man living in Malawi. Ruairi has also climbed many of Britain and Ireland’s highest mountains starting with Snowdon in 2006, aged 11 years, Scafell Pike in 2008 and Ben Nevis in 2010. Next year he’s planning to climb Ireland’s Carrantuohill.
Volunteer of the Year – Flo and Simon Howard
Flo and Simon Howard from Lewisham won the Volunteer of the Year award in recognition of their support for parents and families of deafblind children. Simon helps run a family support group for parents of deafblind children and, with Flo’s support, is a key point of contact for many families seeking advice and information on CHARGE Syndrome – a rare genetic condition that causes deafblindness.
Employee of the Year – Emma Boswell
Emma, 38, from South London, won Employee of the Year, because of her dedication to supporting deafblind people and their families. Emma is an Information and Outreach worker for people with
Usher Syndrome – a rare genetic condition that leads to deafblindness. Emma, who has the condition herself, works tirelessly to champion the rights of others with Usher and was praised for her ability to communicate with a wide range of people.
Exceptional Contribution – Jacqui Jones
Jacqui from Market Deeping, won the exceptional contribution award for her commitment to managing a number of residential homes for deafblind people across the country. Jacqui has been praised for her flexibility, skill and dedication whilst working at Sense homes which provide personalised support for deafblind adults.
Team of the Year - Shalnecote Grove Home staff team
The team of 18 people at Sense’s Shalnecote Grove home in Kings Heath won this award for their commitment to empowering deafblind residents to make their own lifestyle choices and achieve their goals. The team focuses on supporting deafblind people to grow in confidence and independence. Thanks to the work of the staff team, half the residents are currently attending college in Birmingham, developing new skills and enjoying a much wider social life.
Local Partnership and Community – Rachel Harrison
Rachel Harrison, a teacher at the West of England School and College in Exeter was presented with the Local Partnership and Community award in recognition of the exceptional support she has given a deafblind student. Rachel works closely with 19-year-old student, Ellie, who has CHARGE Syndrome, and recently started college. Rachel has supported Ellie throughout this challenging transitional period, helping her to adapt to new and changing circumstances by tailoring her communication methods to ensure Ellie feels settled and supported and is able to get the most out of her college experience.
Innovation in Sense - Ruth Bennett Anderson and Debbie Holt
Ruth Bennett Anderson and Debbie Holt from Sense’s Policy Standards and Compliance Team received the award for Innovation in Sense in recognition of an initiative they are developing with a hospital in Birmingham. The project focuses around maintaining deafblind patients’ dignity by raising awareness of people’s communication needs and came about after discussions around the difficulties deafblind people often face when visiting hospitals.
Transport Provider of the Year – Vicky Mowl, Thomson Holidays
Vicky Mowl, a travel rep from Thomson Holiday Group, was the recipient of Sense’s Transport Provider of the Year for her thorough and thoughtfully researched preparation work in welcoming deafblind holiday maker Catherine Field to the Dominican Republic. Catharine nominated Vicki for providing a truly first rate holiday to celebrate her 50th birthday. Vicki ensured that as well as access and transport, important awareness of communications needs were met by plane crew, ground crew and other staff were briefed upfront. Catherine said “We all felt this holiday was made more special and memorable with the full support of Vicky. She really looked out for us and gave us one-to-one communication due to our needs.”
The Transport award also marks Sense’s Walk With Me, Talk With Me campaign to fully understand the importance of communications support.
The Sense Audit Awards
Sense presented two awards of ‘Excellence’ to two very different types of service:
The first award was to Manor Court – a residential care service for adults based in Market Deeping, Lincolnshire. The service provided at Manor Court was found to meet or exceed the vast majority of Sense’s quality assurance standards. People were well supported in the running of their home and were involved in a wide range of challenging activities such as Tandem Cycling and Canoeing. The Manor Court team demonstrated excellent practice in communication and support with the people living at Manor Court being given as much choice and control as possible over the lifestyles they lead.
A second award went to the Sense Holiday Team. During the summer of 2010 Sense holidays were audited with two being found to have been extremely well planned, well led by the respective holiday leaders and backed up by highly competent and enthusiastic groups of holiday volunteers. Activities were planned around the wishes of the holidaymakers with the teams ensuring that people got maximum benefit from the holiday experience. The findings of the two holidays audited further supported the excellent reputation that the Sense holiday programme as a whole has gained over many years.