Wigan borough hospitals celebrate achievements of staff at first ever STAR awards

The sponsored awards event, held at The Village on The Green, in Aspull, took time to recognise the efforts of Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) colleagues over the past year.

These were the first ever STAR Awards to be held by the trust and marked the first opportunity for WWL employees to get together to celebrate their accomplishments since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Silas Nicholls, WWL chief executive, said: “It’s really great for us to be in the same room together again – it’s been too long.

“Tonight’s awards ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the excellent achievements of so many of our colleagues and show our gratitude for all you have still managed to deliver despite the pressures we have faced.”

A total of 404 nominations were sent from across all areas of the trust as staff were invited to put their fellow colleagues forward for the 10 awards handed out on the night.

Each of the night’s winners were greeted on stage by a member of the executive team, with two new special awards also given out on the evening, the Board of Directors Award and the CEO Award.

One of the night’s more emotional moments took place when Jane Fitzmartin and Sherelee Farrar from Domestic Services at the Jean Heyes Reablement Unit at Leigh Infirmary were announced as winners of the Board of Directors Award.

The pair, known as the "Domestic Duo” sing and dance with the patients on the Unit as a way of boosting morale and bringing smiles to faces.

Mark Jones, WWL chair, said: “Every day the domestic duo play records and sing along with patients, putting smiles on patients faces in times of worry, as they happily listen or sing along, as well as raising the morale of colleagues, all whilst carrying out their cleaning duties to the highest level.

“The duo bring so much happiness, joy and laughter to their unit, their patients, and just as importantly their colleagues, and I hope this helps to bring them both the happiness they deserve too.”