A local charity which cares for terminally ill children at home has scooped the Best Charity award at the first ever South West Business and Community Awards.
Jessie May provides medical care and respite for children in Bristol, Bath, Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset and impressed judges of the Charity category which also shortlisted six other organisations in the region.
Organised by Great British Expos and held at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Swindon, the awards ceremony was attended by over 250 business people and community figures in an evening of recognition and celebration.
Julian Withers, Head of Fundraising at Jessie May, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won the Best Charity Award, especially at the inaugural event, which was fantastically well attended and organised.
“We’re pleased that the judges recognised the hard work and passion we put in to caring for the families who need us within this region. Our Jessie May nurses are a lifeline to parents and siblings as well as children who are going through a very tough time and need complex emotional and medical support from professionals.
“We’re hoping that winning this award will raise our profile across the region so that we can continue to help support many more families.”
Alec Jones-Hall, Director of South West Business and Community Awards, said: “We are proud and excited to be celebrating outstanding achievement across the region and rewarding those who are making a huge impact throughout the South West.
“We all continue to play a vital role in the success of our region and its future achievements will be built on the foundations we lay today.”
Jessie May was set up by the parents of Jessica May Purrington, a little girl who died at home aged four months, surrounded by her family and her nurses.
Jessie May has a team of dedicated nurses who provide care to children and families during a child’s life and after their death.
It costs around £1,400,000 to provide this care each year, so public support like this is vital.
For more information about the work of Jessie May, visit www.jessiemay.org.uk.
