Sir Oliver Heald MP was delighted that following his nomination of the Butterfly Volunteers, they were selected as winners of the Care and Compassion Award in a ceremony at the House of Commons on 4th July.
Facing stiff competition from top teams representing NHS Trusts in the North, South and London regions, they took home the coveted Award on behalf of East and North Herts NHS Trust.
Commenting, Sir Oliver said: “I would like to congratulate the Butterfly Volunteers on their tremendous achievement. At a time when the number of elderly people dying alone is increasing, the Trust’s palliative care and voluntary services teams at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage worked together to create ‘The Butterfly Project’ to make sure volunteers are available to hold hands, talk to or just sit with patients in the last stages of their lives. Innovatively, local people are encouraged to engage with the project so long as they have compassion and strong communication skills. I hope the Award will help highlight the Butterfly Volunteers’ vision that ‘nobody should have to die alone’ and encourage more people to follow in their footsteps. I consider what they do to be compassionate support of the highest order."