We had 130 incredible Club Wellgate Recognition Awards nominations!

By Ash Akhtar, Head of Culture and Engagement (Club Director)

It's been an incredible few months. This is the first time we've ever run the Club Wellgate Recognition Awards, and honestly, we didn't quite know what to expect.

Nominations went live in mid-April and closed on 31 July. And what came back has completely blown us away.

130 nominations. 87 colleagues nominated. Hundreds of stories, written by you, about each other, from every service across Wellgate.

For a first attempt at something like this, that's a huge achievement. It tells us how much you care, not just about the people we support, but about each other too.

We have some truly amazing people at Wellgate. Reading through what's come in, a few things keep showing up, again and again. Colleagues who never let anyone down. People going above and beyond, not because anyone asked, but because that's just who they are. So much kindness, so much patience, and story after story about helping someone live a little more independently, or feel a little more confident.

One nomination described a colleague who came into work an hour after saying goodbye to her own dog, because she knew the night shift would otherwise be short. She left her own heartbreak at the door and got on with looking after the people who needed her.

Another was about someone who's been the one steady presence at her service for ten years. Every time a manager left, she stepped up and held things together, sometimes for months, without the title or the extra pay. Just because someone had to.

These are just two of 130 stories just as real, just as human.

What happens now…

Here's where the hard work really begins. Every nomination has now gone into a proper shortlisting process. Our senior leadership team will review the submissions, rate them, and help decide who goes forward.

It's a genuinely collective effort, and that's the point. Nobody's picking winners from behind a desk without knowing the real detail behind each nomination.

This isn't going to be quick, and it isn't going to be easy. We're looking at the stories, the impact, our values, and the data behind each one, not just going with a gut feeling. Whoever comes out on top, we want them to know it was earned, fair and square.

We'll be sharing updates as shortlisting progresses, so keep checking back here. The ceremony itself is on Wednesday 9 September, and we can't wait to celebrate with everyone there.

Good luck to every single person nominated. And thank you again for making this so wonderfully difficult.