Celebrating courage and dedication at Pride of Somerset awards

Company news

Dec 17, 2014

The team at Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre celebrated alongside award winners at the Pride of Somerset awards, recognising the courage and dedication of the county’s people.

The centre, which is at the heart of the local community, has treated more than 70,000 patients since 2005 and has been sponsoring the award scheme since its inception in 2011. Run by Mid Somerset News & Media, the awards aim to recognise the unsung heroes who have touched the lives of others and helped bind the Somerset community together. 

The ceremony, which was held at Rookery Manor Hotel, in Edingworth, near Weston super Mare, was compered by BBC radio presenter Emma Britton and each winner received a trophy and a certificate.

Jen Lewis, the centre’s stakeholder engagement and communication executive, presented the Child of Courage award. She said “It was a lovely venue and a really great event. The winners were really impressive.”

Her award was presented to Lucas Talbot and Gabe Stone – Lucas, aged four, had major heart surgery when he was just a week old and has had several major operations since, while Gabe, aged six, who has Type 1 diabetes, manages all his own insulin injections.

Chester Barnes, hospital director at Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre, presented the Outstanding Person of the Year award to Michael Browne, who was chosen by the judges from all the category winners.

Michael, who also won the Sporting Hero award, lost a leg three years ago during a training exercise with the Royal Marines. Since then he has become a member of the GB golf team and a sports ambassador for Help for Heroes.

Chester said: “We are delighted to have been the lead sponsor for these awards over the last four years. It’s genuinely humbling to hear the stories of the award winners and nominees, all of whom have achieved so much.”

Speaking after the awards, Bede MacGowan, editor of the Mid Somerset Series said: “These community awards aim to honour and celebrate the unsung heroes who help to make mid-Somerset the wonderful place it is. The ceremony at Rookery Manor was a hugely moving and inspiring occasion, and a real highlight of the calendar for all of us here at Mid Somerset News and Media.

“But none of it could have happened without the generous support of our sponsors, so I would like to thank Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre for its wonderful support as headline sponsor of the Pride of Somerset Awards for the fourth year in a row. We very much look forward to working with them again in 2015.”