Annual Liz Taylor Awards honours staff and volunteers

ExtraCare have been celebrating staff and volunteers at the annual Liz Taylor Awards.

Hosted at the newly modernised New Oscott Village, the awards are in honour of Liz who was a founding Director of ExtraCare. Each year, Liz’s husband Vernon sponsors awards to staff or volunteers in her memory. Nominations are made from residents and staff for colleagues or volunteers who have given exceptional service for residents in some way and consistently demonstrated the values of ExtraCare.

The awards have been running since 2009 and since then there have been 133 winners.

This year an impressive 181 staff and volunteers were nominated receiving between them 398 nominations.

ExtraCare are delighted to congratulate the 12 deserving winners, which include eight staff members and four volunteers. Find out more below about why this years winners have been going above and beyond.

Denise Hamilton

Wixams – Volunteer

Denise helps keep the bistro running and is happy, helpful and polite. She is always welcoming and has untold patience with all her customers and brightens their day.

Very helpful, very competent. Goes out of her way to make things run smoothly.

Diane Badrick

Bournville Gardens – Volunteer

Diane will do anything for anybody at any time. Diane runs the bring and buy here putting an enormous amount of effort twice weekly, each half days. The money raised goes to good causes both here or in the local community. She also volunteers at the bistro and knit and natter.

Over the past seven years all the proceeds from her massive recycling project have been given to various charities. To-date over £5000 has been donated owing to Diane’s hard work. She is always helpful and thinking of others.

Elaine Mortiboy-Clarke

Earlsdon Park – Staff

Elaine is dedicated and hardworking with a strong focus on continuously delivering excellent shows and activities for the residents including tribute acts and themed nights. Recently organising a Steel Pan band and BBQ as well as The Everly Brothers and Freddy Mercury.

Everything that Elaine does involves working to the highest standards and ensuring that our residents are entertained and receive value for money. Elaine brings a positive energy and a personal touch to the role and involves residents in the planning of activities through her monthly drop she genuinely cares about delivering excellent quality work and always goes above and beyond the call of duty in pursuing entertainment and activities. Elaine will always help her colleagues when they are working on an event and spend time with them in the planning and delivery. She is an absolute treasure, she spreads happiness and smiles to our residents through her work

Jacqueline Smith

Lark Hill – Staff

Jackie is caring and shows an understanding to us all. She works hard to make the groups entertaining and spends a lot of time preparing for the sessions, as well as doing the Monday Memory Group, Wednesday Music for Health, she has helped to set up classic music afternoon and the Lads Club and always has time to have a talk if anything is worrying you.

Jackie is a fantastic person – she not only puts heart and soul into her job. She embodies ExtraCare ideals perfectly and works above and beyond her remit!

Jackie working with the memory group puts the extra into ExtraCare. Her instigation of a Lads Club has brought my husband back to me (if only for a short while).

Lynne Charles

Longbridge – Volunteer

Despite Lynne’s own health issues she continues to go above and beyond volunteering daily in the gym. She is hard working and dedicated.

Lynne is consistently visible and reliable, hardworking and committed to her work in the gym. She is there so early and stays late.

Consistently going above and beyond.. Kindness and dedication always shown.

Lynne is always willing to help in the gym. She is very efficient and reliable and takes pride in what she does.

Has been volunteering for over 7 years. She does most days without fail, if it wasn’t for her the gym wouldn’t be what it is!”

Natalie Gutteridge

Hughenden Gardens – Staff

They say not all superheroes wear capes Nat is one of our superheroes without the cape. There’s nothing this girl can’t do. Her experience and knowledge she has about ExtraCare is invaluable to us as team.

Nat has a can-do attitude, and nothing is too much trouble for her, always there to lend a hand. Our residents know that if they need help or something breaks Nat can help, and they speak highly of her and the things she has done for them.

She gives her job her all and gives 110% to her role. Being the passionate person that she is.

Excellent service, pleasant disposition, nothing is too much trouble. she is also the same outside of work. If you bump into her in the supermarket for example.

Nikki Higgins

Sunley Court/Wixams – Staff

Nikki’s dedication to resident end of life care is outstanding. She is supportive to residents and staff and is a font of all knowledge. We couldn’t be without her. Fully supportive within the capacity of her job role and an empathetic human!

Nikki has helped improve several services here and at other sites. She has always gone above and beyond to help our residents thrive and truly cares about their wellbeing. The work she has put in across locations to help us become GSF accredited is unmatchable.

Nisha Patel

Pannel Croft – Staff

Nisha is a true team player who will go above and beyond to help in any way she can for staff, residents and volunteers. Nisha always tries to look at the positives in situations, she helps with care calls for the care team on her days off and promotes independence with her dementia residents. She is patient, takes the time to listen, find solutions and Nisha is the one you would want in an emergency; she is irreplaceable!

Quite simply, nothing is too much for Nisha, she’s passionate, caring and doesn’t give up. Nisha has worked at Pannel Croft for several years and recently changed from an Assistant Care Manager to a Dementia Enabler. Nisha has been successful in engaging some of our more harder to reach residents with complex mental health issues evidenced by those residents re-engaging and being a part of the community again, reducing isolation. Nisha also scored 100% in her audits on two occasions.

Shaun Mullen

New Oscott – Staff

Shaun is a very helpful young man, nothing is too much trouble for himShaun treats everyone with respect and always has a smile on his face. He will answer questions about anything. He is a delight to have around.

If there is a problem Shaun will not give up. He goes the extra mile. He is very polite and willing. He has helped me a lot.

Shaun is the most kind and empathetic person. He is very caring and nothing is too much trouble. He will go out of his way in the restaurant to make sure they are eating their meals. He is courteous and always asks how you are doing.

Well, where do I start the list is endless. Shaun is just so helpful and caring and takes his time listening to your concerns.

He his kind and caring the most helpful young man you could meet. Nothing is too much trouble, he goes the extra mile.

Shelly Brain

Yates Court – Staff

Shelly is very supportive and helpful, nothing is too much trouble for her.

Lovely and makes me smile.

Hardworking, always willing to help, caring and compassionate

Very supporting and caring and helpful.

Valerie Sansum

St Oswald’s – Volunteer

Val covers an average of 15 – 20 hours per week in reception. Her professionalism and dedication are incredible. In addition to her reception duties, Val also sets up tables for every event and delivers/organises delivery of all village communication, could not do it without Val.

100% dedication. Continued volunteering through many trials. The best.

Val Sansum for going above and beyond covering reception. She is always reliable and well-loved in the village. Always willing to help despite her own circumstances. Brave and inspiring!

Zane Lightfoot

Hagley Road Village – Staff

Zane goes above and beyond to ensure residents have a good time when attending events.

She plans to the last detail and always worries has she done enough whilst reflecting on each event and how she can improve the next time.

She works well within the team and can always be relied on to put on a performance to make people smile.

She is just a credit to the location. She constantly has the residents best interests at heart and goes above and beyond.

Zane does so much to enable us to enjoy life here – she is like the sunshine. Her programme of activities and entertainment is interesting and caters for all residents.