Winners of the Carers Awards announced

The second annual Jane Roebuck Carers Awards for Northamptonshire took place on Wednesday 25^th January 2012.

The awards recognise the invaluable contribution unpaid carers make to society. It is estimated that carers save health and social services around £120bn a year nationally. One in ten people are carers and in Northamptonshire alone there are around 70,000 known carers.

This year, 39 people were nominated for either a Carer, Young Carer, or GP Supporting Carer award, and 13 people were shortlisted for the prestigious awards, which were held at Rushton Hall. Prizes were kindly donated by local companies: Barclaycard (ipad2), Northamptonshire Carers, Silverstone, Rockingham Race Track, Pharmacy Northamptonshire, Zinc Digital, Homeland Florist, The Four Pairs Pub, Rushton Hall and Spa, Riverford Organic and Northampton Saints RFC.

Mark Major, Director of Northamptonshire Carers said: "The awards were a great success and we were absolutely delighted to get so many nominations this year.

"It is important to reiterate that, although only some of the carers have won awards, in our eyes, all carers are winners. 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.”

Dr Darin Seiger, Chair of Nene Commissioning, said: "Congratulations to all the carers and young carers who have won awards this year, and also congratulations to GP colleagues who won the GPs supporting carers awards."

Sharon Benford, Carers Project Manager for NHS Northamptonshire, said: "We are delighted with the success of the Carers Awards and we hope that we continue to build on the success of them in future years, to ensure theessential work of carers remains in the spotlight."

Cllr Robin Brown, Northamptonshire County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Services, said: "We were very moved and impressed by all of the entries in this year’s carers’ awards and I am very pleased and proud to have been involved with the event."

The winners are as follows:

Carer of the Year: Michelle Stanton

Young Carer of the Year: Lewis and Lloyd Holton

GP practice Supporting Carers of the Year: Dr Asif Akram, Greens Norton Medical Practice, Towcester

Highly commended nominees were as follows:

Carer of the Year (Highly commended): Martin Mitchell, Rachael Robinson, Lynne Haddon

Young Carer of the Year (Highly commended): Rio Knock, Craig Barnett, Lauren Leslie, Kelsey Fordyce, Ryan Richards

GP practice supporting Carers of the Year (Highly commended): Dr A A Shurrub, The Mounts Medical Centre, Northampton

Thanks to all of the people who nominated and to all the carers.

Young Carers of the Year winners Lewis and Lloyd Holton, aged 13 and 14, look after their dad who has Motor Neurone Disease. Lewis and Lloyd, of Abington, Northampton, who won an i-pad2 donated by Barclaycard staff, said: "We are really pleased to get this award – we will try not to fight over the ipad!"

Carer of the Year winner Michelle Stanton, of Kettering Road, Northampton, has three children, one of whom has Turners Syndrome and regularly has to go to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, another of whom has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Michelle said: "I was quite shocked to have won – I don’t really think of myself as a carer, it’s just something I do. It was a lovely event and I really enjoyed it."

Dr Asif Akram, of Greens Norton Medical Practice, Towcester, who won the GP practice supporting Carer of the Year award, said: "I feel extremely privileged to have been invited to the awards and especially to have won, but I must emphasise this award is for all of my colleagues at the practice as well – it is a team effort.

"We see carers and the Carers Support Workers as an extension of the practice and it is vital that we continue to give carers the support they need."

Carers can contact the Carers Support Line on 01933 677907 or email carers@northamptonshire-carers.org