THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNISING SKILLS, ASSETS, & QUALITIES | THE STAFF EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2022 | IN COLLABORATION WITH CUMBRIA, NORTHUMBERLAND, TYNE & WEAR NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (cntw.nhs.uk)

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Today I’m collaborating with my local NHS mental health Trust; Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) to bring to you a post about how much it means to recognise skills, assets, or qualities. This theme is based on it being the Trust’s thirteenth Staff Excellence Awards on Friday 23^rd September – you can keep an eye out on their social media (links above and below the post) and mine (@aimes_wilson on Twitter and Instagram), for some live posting and photos at the event…

HAVING MY CONFIDENCE ANIALATED

Growing up, I was always encouraged and taught that I could do anything I put my mind to, so I had a fairly decent amount of confidence – mostly in my creative abilities… Until I got to High School when I was a teenager, and I took Textiles as an optional GCSE subject. The teacher was so incredibly overly critical of all the work, assignments, and projects I created and submitted. Initially, even though this was a kind of alien attitude for me, I thought that maybe it was a helpful act and that she had good intentions. That she was giving me constructive criticism. Then, though, I began comparing her treatment of me to her responses to the work of other pupils in the class and had a starkly blunt and sad realisation that there was no genuinely kind meaning behind it. She was being so incredibly spiteful!

A QUICK CHAT WITH BIG PINK DRESS AKA COLIN PLEWS

As a six-foot, nineteen stone, Ex-Forces and Rugby player, if someone had told me five years ago that I’d end up running around in a massive dress I’d have laughed in your face!

Five years ago, though, a friend of mine was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and watching her go through Chemotherapy and experience all of the horrendous side effects was life changing. I felt so helpless because I’m no Doctor or Scientist, but I was desperate to make a difference and the Great North Run was just around the corner, so I applied for a place with the Breast Cancer Campaign. 

While working at a Nursing Home, we picked names out of a hat for a Christmas show we named ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ and I picked out Diana Ross. This inspired me to wear a fish-tail dress which caused me to take three hours and forty-two minutes to get around the 13.1 miles! I had hoped – and aimed – to raise £350 but ended up with over £4000 and that, with the amount of support I had, meant that the original plan of this being a one-off run was completely scraped and I aimed for double the distance.

RICHMOND FELLOWSHIP ENRICH AWARDS 2019 | PART THREE

After a bit of a disastrous lunch – the vegetarian food didn’t arrive until almost the end of the scheduled lunch break! But the whole Team worked as a Team and we took the challenge in our stride! I caught up on some tweets for the Richmond Fellowship Tyneside twitte raccount and met and had a very exciting chat with, the soon-to-be Comms Manager (more on that over the next few months!).

The first two awards were presented by myself and my Co-Chair; Rachel; Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Working Together Committee. Rachel presented the Hope Award first which was described as being for the team who had made the most difference in supporting the people, we support on their recovery journey. The most special feature of this Award is that the nominees were voted for by the people they support. The three finalists were Mid and West Surrey Employment Service, Leicestershire Life Links, and North West Surrey Employment Service and the winner was Leicestershire Life Links. This Team provide a wellness service tailored to the needs of the local community by focusing on the individual’s strengths, needs, and future aspirations.

RICHMOND FELLOWSHIP ENRICH AWARDS 2019 | PART ONE

You know when there just seems to be no words that are good enough to talk about something? That’s how I feel about the Richmond Fellowship Enrich Awards! And I guess this is the reason why I’ve decided to make this event into four posts... 


To be asked to join the judging panel was a huge achievement and then when I got the email asked if I would co-chair the event with Rachel (Chair of the Working Together Committee); I was speechless – except I wasn’t really because it was via email so… but you know what I mean! And then I was asked to present one of the awards and then when the Manager of the Richmond Fellowship Tyneside team offered me the reigns of their Twitter account… well! It was such an honour to be trusted with so much - and so many - responsibilities and to know that it obviously meant Richmond Fellowship believed in me and believed that I was capable of doing all these things.