Northamptonshire awards ceremony puts carers in the spotlight

The prestigious awards ceremony, which was held at Barton Hall, Kettering, not only recognises the commitment, hard work, and selflessness of carers, but it provides an opportunity for them to enjoy an occasion which is dedicated solely to them.

The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Kettering, councillors, MPs, Northampton Town FC players, Northamptonshire County Cricket Club players, number of health and social care professionals and local businesses.

The special event recognised the commitment, hard work, and selflessness of Northamptonshire carers, but also provided an opportunity for the county’s carers to enjoy an occasion which was dedicated solely to them.

The winners were:

Young Carer of the Year - Saffron Bannard

Carer of the Year - Paul Nichols

Shining Star Award - Louise Willis

As many as one in eight adults (about 6.5 million people) are carers in the UK and every day another 6,000 people take on a caring responsibility – that equals more than two million people each year.

In Northamptonshire alone, there are more than 70,000 known carers.

Chief executive officer of Northamptonshire Carers Mark Major said: “The awards were a great success and we were absolutely thrilled that so many people put forward nominations.

“Carers do a vital job and these awards help raise their profile and awareness of the amazing work these people do, often in extremely challenging circumstances.

“While we have only awarded some of the nominees with awards, it must be known that all carers are winners and the work they do for others is extremely valuable.”

For more information on the awards visit www.northamptonshire-carers.org/awards.