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1V HEALTH AWARD 2024

WINNER Sarah Bernasconi

Sarah Bernasconi, Maggies Stillbirth Legacy was the recipient of the 1V Health Award 2024, sponsored by Spring North.

In 2015 Sarah lost her daughter to stillbirth and was offered the only cuddle cot within East Lancashire. The Legacy fundraises and provides Cuddle-Cots and Cuddle-Blankets to Hospitals, training to the NHS and Memory Boxes. Sarah has created a support group where friendship, support, talking therapies and licenced private clinicians attend.

Recognising the diverse ways in which different parts of our Borough deal with death, burial and mourning, Sarah has also created bespoke packages. She has worked closely with Imams and other religious leaders to be wholly diverse. 

Sarah was shocked at receiving the award, “I feel humbled honoured and proud to have won the award. Everyone in the category was amazing so I honestly didn’t think I’d win. Thank you for helping me to break the taboo of pregnancy, stillbirth, and child loss.” 

 

THE FINALISTS

Four Season Outdoors

Four Seasons Outdoors is an organisation that is consistently active in the community. The organisation covers an array of areas including events, outdoor walking, hiking, health and fitness, mental health seminars, yoga, charity work and litter picks in the community. The group operates from Blackburn with Darwen although their walks and hikes take them all around the UK. Their programmes are tailored to the community to educate people about the benefits of the great outdoors and increase their confidence in exploring nature on their own. Four Seasons outdoors promotes unity and bringing people of all backgrounds together, boosting confidence and self-esteem through physical fitness and overall well-being. Everyone is welcome at Four Seasons Outdoors regardless of age, gender, or fitness level. The group is a ‘family who aim to uplift and motivate one another’ to conquer their personal goals. They also tier their work to suit individuals or organisations from a diverse range of communities.

Offload North West

Offload Northwest are a group of volunteers who compassionately dedicate their time to improve the mental health and well-being of our community. 

The team recognised the urgent need to create a positive environment, steering people away from turning to harmful coping mechanisms such as self-harm and substance abuse, by helping them embrace their difficulties in a new way. 

The volunteers then launched their Women’s Hub in July 2023 and began to work with other organisations. They conducted fortnightly sessions with the residents of Salvation Army and Nightsafe. With determination, the group set out to establish a hub of activities that could bring joy, togetherness and hope to every participant. 

Offload Northwest have been able to provide various support to many members of the community for their wellness and recovery journey’s. The group aim is to make a difference in the lives of anyone who cannot see any hope by providing refuge from the darkness of anxiety, depression, family issues, domestic violence, and addiction which have a strain on relationships. 

Red Rose Recovery – Roots Community

Red Rose Recovery was established as a charity in 2012 and has become nationally recognised as a pioneering organisation in developing recovery systems and creating opportunities for people affected by substance misuse, mental health and offending behaviours. They have been working in Blackburn over the last 12 months on substance misuse and gambling addiction problems, working with partners across the board to support local people. They are a lived experience organisation that seek a non-judgemental approach. Red Rose Recovery’s Roots Community branch is a newly convened forum advocating for recovery in the Blackburn with Darwen area. As a Lived Experience Recovery organisation, the staff’s personal and relatable experience provides inspiration and hope to people who are struggling to find a way forward. Red Rose Recovery work with a wide range of partner organisations in many different settings to build a lasting difference.

Sarah Bernasconi- Maggies Still Birth Legacy

In 2015 Sarah lost her daughter Maggie, to stillbirth. Sarah was offered the only cuddle cot within East Lancashire. She realised that there were multiple families missing out on this, so she began Maggie’s Still Birth Legacy. The Legacy fundraises and provides Cuddle-Cots and Cuddle-Blankets to Hospitals, training to the NHS and Memory Boxes. Sarah has created a support group where friendship, support, talking therapies and licenced private clinicians attend. Recognising the diverse ways in which different parts of our Borough deal with death, burial and mourning, Sarah has also created bespoke packages. She has worked closely with Imams and other religious leaders to be wholly diverse. Sarah has taken a sensitive subject that marginalises women and families and created an inclusive service that caters to the health and wellbeing of families. Sarah has raised more than £60,000 to provide cuddle cots, blankets and memory boxes across Lancashire NHS and recently in Spain and regularly has more than 20 regular attendees truly making a difference in Blackburn with Darwen.

The 1V Health Award will recognise an individual or organisation for their commitment and effort in tackling key health issues in hard to reach communities.

It will also acknowledge any success which combats health inequalities in our town. The award will celebrate individuals or organisations that conduct their work in the voluntary sector, but applications are also welcome from the public and private sector. The 1V Health Award will also be for those who lead in improving, innovating and helping to make a real difference to health and well-being services in Blackburn with Darwen. Individuals or groups who have worked in partnership with other organisations and communities to reduce health inequalities will receive greater credits.

WINNER 2023

Health Award winner Breaks Barriers

IMO Charity receive the 1V Health Awards from Spring North’s Martin Hartley-Smith

A local charity working to eliminate health barriers and stereotypes won the 1V Health Lead Award. 

IMO Charity received the accolade from Martin Hartley-Smith, Head of Business Development at Spring North.

IMO’s Health & Well-being strand offers various projects for vulnerable adults with complex needs. 

IMO Charity, based in Blackburn, also aims to tackle health related stereotypes especially within the South Asian community. For a charity that isn’t primarily based on health they do a lot of work to help combat certain stereotypes in regard to health, wellbeing and taboo subjects such as substance misuse.

They have conducted many health and well-being projects in the last 12 months including Women 4 Women, Diabetes, Substance Misuse through the SPARK project, Changing Futures, and many more. 

Under each project the IMO team deliver bespoke and inspiring workshops which help motivate and overcome challenges while offering practical, emotional, and physical support for individuals to move forward with their lives in a positive manner. 

Their work also embraces non-Asian communities.

Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Sidat was delighted at receiving the award and said, “This is a very exciting win and the IMO team is delighted to be recognised in this way. We are thrilled to have won the Health Lead Award. IMO would like to thank everyone who has supported and joined us on this unforgettable journey.”

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