SECAmb Celebrates Heroes at Glitzy Eastbourne Awards
The South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) rolled out the red carpet at The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne on 20 October. Staff and volunteers were honoured with long service awards and special commendations in their third and final annual bash of the year. Cheers for those Sussex heroes!
Gold Medals and Decades of Dedication
Deputy Lieutenant of East Sussex, Mrs Juliet Smith, handed out Queen’s Medals for Long Service and Good Conduct. Special nods were also given to those boasting 20 and 30 years of NHS service – talk about loyalty!
- Queen’s Medal Winners include critical care paramedics, operational team leaders, and ambulance technicians from Hastings, Brighton, Tangmere, and beyond.
- 20 Years’ NHS Service: Tracey Mitchell, Kelly Payne, Ray Savage.
- 30 Years’ NHS Service: Jeremy Andrews, Mark Hodsoll, Sheena Moloney, Justine Richards, Scott Thowney, Andrew Tombs, Lee Warwick.
- 10 Years’ Voluntary Service: Mark Farnham, Community First Responder, Crowborough.
Star Performers and Life-Saving Teams
Chief Executive Commendations celebrated exceptional feats in clinical care, leadership, and voluntary service.
- Employee of the Year: Amaraghosha Carter, SECAmb’s Associate Director of Information Technology. His leadership in IT upgrades helped boost SECAmb’s 999 and 111 services.
- Team of the Year: Hazardous Area Response Team paramedics at Gatwick – Lee Warwick, Ross Butler, Stuart Lade, Dave Lovett, and Critical Care Paramedic Ben Spashett. Their quick thinking freed a trapped motorcyclist using a stretcher and saved his life.
- Special Public Commendation: PC Susannah Maynard from Sussex Police was praised for her professionalism and heartfelt care during a tricky incident involving children.
Leaders and Volunteers Making a Difference
Other top shout-outs included:
- Paul Willis and Andrew Frey for revolutionising equipment management for the Hazardous Area Response Team.
- Mark Hodsoll for his tireless work developing the Banstead Make Ready Centre, making it welcoming with staff’s own photos.
- Tim Burgess for helping secure a unique training venue for SECAmb’s Hazardous Area Response Team at Ewhurst Brickworks.
“I would like to congratulate every single one of our award winners. A career in the ambulance service is challenging but extremely rewarding,” said SECAmb Interim Chief Executive, Siobhan Melia. “Their dedication and professionalism help so many patients every day.”
