Recognising the volunteers who go the extra mile

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust is proudly supported by a team of volunteers who give their time to support staff and patients across a wide range of health care services. These volunteers were recognised for their contributions at the Trust’s Volunteer Awards event held in Willerby this November.

This was the first event of its kind and stepped on the shoulders of the Trust’s annual Staff Awards, which have always included a volunteer category. In 2025 the decision was made to create a wider event celebrating the hard work and dedication of the volunteers who give up their time for the benefit of patients. Organisers shared that there were too many inspiring individuals supporting the Trust to choose only one for an award, so the Volunteer Awards were created.

With a total of 6 award categories on the day, individuals were recognised for the unique contributions they made to the Trust. The winners were as follows:

Extra Mile Award – Claire O’Toole

Flying Start Award – Sam Till

Leaps and Bounds Award – Rachel Fisher

Sunshine Award – Ruby Watson

Time Honoured Award – Frank Kemp, Gary Wiles and Joel Tackie

Happy to Help Award – Diane Walker

The awards ceremony was enjoyed by everyone who attended and really celebrated the values of Being Humber.

Chief Executive Michele Moran opened the event and addressed the volunteers, “Your generosity not only supports our staff but also helps to create a stronger, kinder and more inclusive NHS. On behalf of the Trust, I want to thank you for the time, energy and compassion you give. These awards are a small way of recognising the big difference you make every day.”

The event was funded by the Trust charity Health Stars, and their Charity Manager Anita Green was also one of the judges of the awards. Anita shared how inspirational she found reading through the nominations to be, “What a privilege it was to choose between such a wealth of exceptional volunteers when shortlisting for these awards. Every single volunteer has given something to the Trust and their valuable time is appreciated. I am delighted that Health Stars could support this event and recognise these inspirational people.”

Catherine Ceely, Voluntary Services Manager, said “It is incredibly humbling to work daily with people who selflessly give up their time to help others. The volunteers at the Trust each have their own unique impact on the services they support. I am so glad we could celebrate these incredible individuals and recognise how much we value their contribution. Thank you to every one of our volunteers and congratulations to our finalists and winners!”.

Volunteering opportunities are available with Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust at a range of services and locations. For anyone interested in learning more they can visit the website for information or view all the current opportunities.