Our Inspirational People Celebrate We Dare Awards

Last night, we celebrated the ‘We Dare’ Awards, honouring the very best of our charity and the incredible people, projects and partnerships that make Community Integrated Care special.

The inaugural ceremony took place at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket Club and England Cricket. It was hosted by TV star Fiona Phillips, who is known to millions as the former host of GMTV and has been a passionate campaigner for the social care sector, championing dementia causes.

The event brought together more than 400 representatives of our charity, including the people we support, colleagues, volunteers and partners. The event was proudly supported by several of Community Integrated Care’s national partners, including headline sponsor Arena Group.

The We Dare Awards featured 59 nominees, representing the social-impact of our 6000 colleagues and teams, our very best partnerships, and the inspirational achievements of the people we support.

The event highlighted stunning stories that powerfully brought to life the impact of the care sector, none more so than Avril Jones, a Support Worker from Liverpool, who collected the headline ‘We Dare Award’. Avril collected the Grand Prix accolade for her incredible response to the passing of an individual who had been supported at her service for more than 28 years. In challenging circumstances, Avril planned a beautiful memorial to the much loved person and was even willing to fund his funeral, such was her deep-rooted love and respect for him.

In a hotly contested category, Community Integrated Care’s North West service area was also named the ‘Region of the Year’. This accolade recognised their partnerships with leading sporting and cultural organisations, investment in employee wellbeing programmes and the outcomes achieved by the people the support – from enabling a person with a learning disability to find a dream acting role on Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, through to services achieving CQC’s Outstanding grade.

The event was attended by several local and national care sector representatives, including commissioners from across the UK and Vic Rayner, CEO of National Care Forum. It was also supported by patrons of the charity, including rugby league stars Ted and James Chapelhow of Widnes Vikings, and England and St Helens representative, Faye Gaskin, who are proud ambassadors for the Community Integrated Care Learning Disability Super League, the charity’s ground-breaking new collaboration with UK rugby league.

Mark Adams, CEO of Community Integrated Care, says: “For more than three decades, our charity has supported countless people across the UK, creating stronger communities and enabling individuals to lead fuller, happier lives. At times of unprecedented challenges in the social care sector, it is important that we thank the inspirational people who dedicate their lives to support others and shine a light on the vital contribution of care providers.

With almost 650 award submissions, these 59 nominees represented the very best of the best of the care sector. The event was truly an inspirational occasion for everyone associated with our charity and a shining example of the impact that we aspire to make across the UK with our ambitious new We Dare Strategy.”