Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice took home a prestigious award last night (Thursday 11 April), in honour of its outstanding commitment to the community.
The much-loved charity – which is celebrating 40 years of care this year – won the ‘Excellence in Contribution to the Community’ title at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce awards.
Taking place at the International Convention Centre (ICC), over 1,300 city professionals applauded as the Hospice accepted the significant accolade.
Following rigorous judging, Birmingham St Mary’s was named winner of the community category on account of the care and support it has provided to people living with life-limiting illness across Birmingham and Sandwell.
The Hospice was commended for the exceptional support it has provided over the past four decades, particularly in people’s homes and in the community, and for the extent it has grown and evolved its services to meet growing demand for its specialist care.
In 2016, the Hospice embarked on a new strategy called ‘Hospice Care For All’ – an ambitious programme of service redesign to reach more individuals and their loved ones than ever before during a time of significant financial pressures across the public sector. The strategy is the Hospice’s response to the UK’s ageing population, in which more people are living longer but with more complex conditions.
In just three years, the Hospice has increased referrals to its services by 40 per cent and in the last year alone, over 1,600 individuals have benefited from its care and support.
Tina Swani, chief executive at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “Winning this accolade is a huge honour for Birmingham St Mary’s – especially in our 40th anniversary this year – so thank you to the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce for recognising us.
“We have a wonderful team of staff and volunteers who make sure people can receive the care they want in a place they want – whether that’s in their home, in their community or at the Hospice. I’m thrilled that this award recognises their outstanding commitment and hope it helps raise the profile of the vital services a hospice can provide.”
This year, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is celebrating 40 years of care across Birmingham and Sandwell. When the Hospice first opened in 1979, it could care for 25 people on any given day but four decades later and it is now supporting over 400 people every day.
To find out more about our 40th anniversary celebrations and how you can get involved, please visit here.
