The Anne Robson Trust, which is working in partnership with hospitals including the James Paget to establish Butterfly Volunteers to support patients at the end of their lives, has collected a national award at a ceremony in London.
The Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards - which were held at The Marriott Grosvenor Square on Friday, 6 December, and hosted by Dame Esther Rantzen and her daughter Rebecca Wilcox – aim to recognise the hard work, dedication, innovation and excellence of those working in the not-for-profit sector, who make a positive difference to people’s lives.
With the competition particularly strong in their category, Anne Robson Trust were thrilled to be announced as the winners of the ‘End of Life Care Award’, sponsored by Care Choices Ltd.
The Stevenage based charity are currently working with a number of hospitals including The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, The Norfolk & Norwich University Foundation Trust, East Suffolk & North Essex Foundation Trust, in both Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals, and the James Paget to ensure Butterfly Volunteers are on hand to support patients.
Butterfly Volunteers provide company and companionship to individuals in hospital in the last days and hours of their lives.
The judges said of the winners: “The Anne Robson Trust has, in a short space of time, taken an important idea and turned it into a successful movement in a complicated setting. The needs and voices of the people they support are central at a very vulnerable time, and they are tackling the issues of loneliness and isolation for people at the end of their life. The Anne Robson Trust gives people time and confidence, all the while evolving, learning and considering boundaries.”
The award was collected by Anne Robson Trust Director Liz Pryor, and Wellbeing Manager Jo Corscaden.
Liz said; “We are very excited to have won a national award for the work that the Trust has been doing – were thrilled to bits when we won it.
“The Anne Robson Trust is the only registered charity in the UK that works with NHS Hospitals to quickly implement and manage teams of Butterfly Volunteers who sit with patients in the last days of life, many of whom have no other visitors at all. We are proud to have increased numbers of trained volunteers from 20 at the start of 2019, to the more than 100 we will have by the beginning of 2020.”
