Carers Trust Heart of England proudly hosted its annual Carer Awards Ceremony on Thursday 20 November at the iconic St Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry.
The event brought together more than 100 attendees for an evening dedicated to honouring a host of remarkable carers and community champions across Coventry and Warwickshire.
The Carer Awards serve as an important moment each year for the local community to come together and recognise not only unpaid carers, but also the businesses, educational organisations and fundraisers who go above and beyond to support carers and the people they care for.
The Carer Awards took part on Carers Right’s Day, a day all about raising awareness of the rights the UK’s 5.8 million unpaid carers are entitled to, and to help them get the support they need and the recognition they deserve.
This year’s ceremony was jointly presented by Pete Fahy of Coventry City Council and Jodie Cotterrell from Carers Trust Heart of England, who guided the audience through an inspiring evening reflecting compassion, resilience, and community spirit.
A standout moment of the evening was the unveiling of Bear2Care, a brand-new mascot created to support young carers in schools across the region. The character was designed by Lily, a talented young carer whose creativity and imagination saw her deservedly win a competitive design competition. The Bear2Care mascot will now play a central role in engaging and supporting young carers through school-based initiatives.
Carers Trust Heart of England expressed its gratitude to Severn Trent, the official sponsor of this year’s awards, whose generous support helped make the celebration possible and ensured that local carers received the recognition they so deeply deserve. Severn Trent sponsored the Carer of the Year Award which was won by Bernie O’Brien (Coventry) and James Morrison (Warwickshire). The full list of winners can be found below.
The event once again highlighted the invaluable role carers play within their families, communities, and wider society. Their dedication often goes unseen, but the Carer Awards aim to ensure their contributions are celebrated and remembered.
For more information about Carers Trust Heart of England please visit www.carerstrusthofe.org.uk/ or contact contactus@carerstrusthofe.org.uk