The awards form part of the RCN North West’s annual event to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contribution of nursing staff from BAME backgrounds who work in health and social care across the region.
This year’s theme is ‘Anti-Racism: Allyship and Advocacy’ and took place virtually last Wednesday. Hosted by Dreadlock Alien and Kurly McGeachie, the event aimed to give delegates a better understanding of anti-racism and advocacy.
Delegates heard from speakers including Trish Bennett, Director of Nursing and Quality, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, who spoke passionately about nursing leadership and anti-racist practice; Professor Uduak Archibong MBE, who outlined how the true meaning of how to be an anti-racism ally, and from Lourinti Fletchman- Thompson, Head of Education & Learning Manchester Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN) and Claudette Wright, Practice Education Facilitator, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, who spoke about how student ambassadors worked to support their peers and tackle discrimination.
This year’s winners work across a range of settings including in hospitals and out in the community, and in clinical and non-clinical areas such as governance, general nursing, mental health and education. They were recognised for a variety of reasons including their commitment to ensure the BAME agenda is heard and acted upon in their organisations and supporting newly recruited nurses from the BAME workforce.
The winners are:
• Barry Williams, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
• Roehl Gaerlan, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Rena Fletcher, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
• Indra Kunder, Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Agnes Leopold-James, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
• Erica Isherwood, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust
• Dawn Hardie, St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
• Sindhu Don, Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
• Alma Paule, University Hospital of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
• Ebenezer Banahene, Liverpool John Moores University
Congratulating the winners, Estephanie Dunn, Regional Director of the Royal College of Nursing in the North West said: “Our Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic nursing community play a vital role in caring for people and their families across the region and these awards celebrate the unique contribution that they make.”
She added: “However, despite progress made by employers to address race inequality, we must not forget that BAME staff continue to face an uphill battle for equal access to career opportunities and for racial equality in the workplace. It isn't right that nursing staff feel they have to leave their job or our profession as a result of race discrimination. We still have a very long way to go to achieve greater equality and stamping out corrosive attitudes and behaviours. No one should have to go to work and expect unfair treatment because of their race.
“However, hearing how valued our award winners are in their organisations gives me hope that one day trying to fight inequality within the health and social care sector will be a thing of the past.”
