At the end of November, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (UH Bristol) staff gathered at the Bristol Hotel for the annual Recognising Success Awards.

Now in its sixth year, the Recognising Success Awards, which are funded by Above & Beyond, thank and celebrate staff achievements across the Trust.

Staff are considered for a number of individual and team awards in areas including: the improvement of services; quality champions; excellence in teaching, learning and research; unsung heroes and volunteering.

We're very pleased to announce that Tom Winchester, one of Above & Beyond's brilliant fundraisers, was recognised in the category of Volunteer of the Year.

At the age of five, Tom had a life-saving operation to remove a brain tumour. To mark 10 years since the surgery, he began to organise a series of fundraising events to raise £5,000 to say thank you for the care he received at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children (BRHC). 

After tin collections, bake sales, sponsored walks, a school disco, a charity football match and a finale fundraising concert, Tom, now aged 17, raised over £6,250 – far exceeding his original target!

Speaking after the awards, Tom said: 

"Winning Volunteer of the Year came as a huge surprise to me, especially as I'm only 17. I started fundraising to say thank you to the children's hospital for the amazing care I received when suffering from a brain tumour at the age of just five. I am so grateful to Above & Beyond for supporting me in raising over £6,250 and nominating me for this ward; it's beyond my wildest dreams!"

Another Above & Beyond fundraiser was successful on the night. Andrea Bennett, a nursing assistant at BRHC, received an award for Unsung Hero in a Clinical Role.

Not only does Andrea go above and beyond in her day job but, together with fellow nurse Emily Hewson, she took part in a skydive, held some wonderful bake sales and organised a raffle to raise over £4,000 for a sensory waiting area in the outpatients department where she works.

Congratulations to all of the staff who were nominated and won awards or commendations. Above & Beyond has recently agreed to fund the Recognising Success Awards from 2018 to 2020, so we'll see you all next year!